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August 3, 2016

Informational Webinar on the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee's Draft Arctic Research Plan 2017-2021, August 3 at 3pm EDT (Webinar). The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) requests public comment on the draft Arctic Research Plan 2017-2021 (Five-Year Plan). The Five Year Plan describes research priorities that are expected to benefit from interagency collaboration. It will be published by the Office of Science and Technology Policy in late 2016. The Five-Year Plan and additional information is available at  https://review.globalchange.gov/, where public comments may be submitted between July 26 and August 21. Chapter authors will be available to answer questions during a webinar on August 3. More information about IARPC, the Five Year Plan and the webinar is available at:  bit.ly/IARPCplan17 

Today's C ongressional Action:   
The House and Senate are not in session.

Media   

Poop and Hydroponics: a Nunavut Community's New Approach to Fresh Food. What do goose poop and food security have in common? It's a more appetizing connection than you would think. Like any greenhouse initiative in Nunavut, sourcing the soil is half the battle - the cost of shipping bags of soil north by plane or even sealift can be costly. Nunatsiaq Online

nuunavut Nunavut Ranks With the Poorest Nations, Human Development Index Shows.  If Nunavut were a country, the territory would rank 46th in the world for the overall quality of its social and economic well-being, a report released July 28 found.  That's down from Nunavut's global ranking of 38 in the   last report from 2012.  The newly-updated and downgraded rank of 46 places Nunavut roughly five times lower than Canada, ninth among the 188 nation states, which are ranked globally by the Human Development Index.   Nunatsiaq Online

Alaska Research Center Moves Science from Bench to Bedside. Alaska and Montana have formed a collaborative clinical and translational research center to address the health priorities of Alaska Native and American Indian people.  Led by Professor Allen Harmsen at Montana State University, in collaboration with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the center's primary goal is to increase the number of scientists who can work effectively with indigenous people. The center is funded with a five-year, $20 million award from the National Institutes of Health. University of Alaska Fairbanks
 
Rosneft to Establish First Arctic Scientific Outpost. Rosneft has organized the Kara Summer 2016 expedition that will establish the first Arctic scientific outpost, the corporate website reports. A scientific expedition ship carrying members of the expedition will sail for 60 days from the Barents Sea to the East Siberian Sea and along the Arctic coast.  "The expedition will establish Rosneft's first scientific base in the Khatanga Gulf. The base will monitor climate year-round and study ice in the Laptev Sea during the winter. We plan to start building and equipping the living quarters by the end of 2016," the company reports. The Arctic
 
Eskimology Course Faces Big Freeze. What is believed to be the world's only degree in Eskimology and Arctic Studies, taught at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, has stopped admitting new students after cuts to higher education funding.  An official at the university said that this was a "freeze". It is unclear if he was making a pun. The university intends to admit students again in 2017. BBC News

Legislative Action futureevents   

No Arctic legislation was formally considered yesterday.

Future Events

CMTS Speaker Series, August 4, 2016 (Washington, DC  USA). There will be presentation under the US Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) Speaker Series by Ms. Susan "Sudie" Hargis, Tribal Liaison for US Coast Guard District 17, Alaska. It will be held Thursday, August 4, 2016, 10:30 a.m. to Noon at the US Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC. A webinar option is also available.  Please see the attached notice for CMTS contact and webinar access information or contact [email protected] . Ms. Hargis is extremely well-respected in her work with the US Coast Guard and will share her expertise with Alaskan and Arctic Tribal outreach and engagement. I encourage you to join this timely presentation as we all seek to support the President's Arctic initiatives for Tribal outreach.

Hosted by Saint Petersburg State University, the UArctic Congress 2016 will feature Science and Meeting sections, including:
  • Acclaimed keynote speakers and scientific experts presenting research.
  • Parallel sessions on Arctic science, policy, and education topics.
  • Meetings for reps of the Council of UArctic and UArctic Rectors' Forum.
  • Pre-Meetings to foster contacts and enhance networking.
  • Opportunities to promote and market your organization and activities.
  • A UArctic Student Forum with workshops.
  • A Cultural and Social program.
The 2016 UArctic Rectors' Forum and the 19th annual meeting of the Council of UArctic form an integral part of the congress. 

Conference on Water Innovations for Healthy Arctic Homes: September 18-21, 2016, Anchorage, Alaska. This circumpolar conference will bring together engineers, health experts, researchers, community members, policymakers, and innovators to discuss health benefits, challenges and innovations associated with making running water and sewer in remote northern communities safe, affordable and sustainable. Information and an expression of interest in attending can be found here. (The full link is:  http://wihah2016.com/)
 
13th International Conference on Gas in Marine Sediments: September 19-22, 2016 (Tromso, Norway).   GIMS 13  promotes the study of natural gas and release systems on a global scale and  facilitates interdisciplinary and international cooperation. The conference  intends to bring together geologists, biologists, microbiologist, geophysicists, oceanographers, geochemists and scientists from modeling disciplines. The forum will provide a platform for current knowledge and future programs in gas inventories, fluxes and their role within the carbon cycle and biodiversity. Conference is organized by CAGE - Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate at UiT The  Arctic University of Norway. Abstract submission deadline is May 30th and registration deadline is June 20th. For more information:  http://gims13.uit.no
 
Bridging the Future of Arctic Social Science Research, September 23-24, 2016 (Monticello, Virginia, USA). The event is sponsored by Arctic Horizons.  The event will reassemble the members of the National Steering Committee and a small but diverse selection of representatives from the five regional workshops, to total about 15 people. The aim will be to identify and synthesize the core threads of the previous workshops and public contributions proffered between workshops. The target output for the workshop will be a final report draft and outline of steps leading to the final report release in June 2016. The Jefferson Institute will manage production of the publication.
 
Second International Conference on Natural Resources and Integrated Development of Coastal Areas in the Arctic Zone, September 27-29, 2016 (Arkhangelsk, Russia).  The Conference is organized by FASO of Russia, Russian Academy of Sciences, Government of Arkhangelsk region, Arkhangelsk Scientific Center and International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). 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. For additional information, please email.

Arctic Ambitions V: International Business Conference & Trade Show, October 4-5, 2016 (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). This once-a-year event uniquely focuses on business and investment opportunities flowing from developments in the Arctic. With interest in commercial development in the Arctic growing rapidly, WTC Anchorage initiated the Arctic Ambitions conference five years ago to address issues such as innovation, investment, infrastructure development, transportation, natural resources, and trade. At the event, corporate executives and senior government officials from across the Arctic, and around the world, make presentations and participate in panel discussions. This year's conference also includes a Trade Show and B2B Matchmaking Session. For more information, please contact Greg Wolf ( [email protected]) or call 907-278-7233.

Inuit traditions are a repository of Inuit culture and a primary expression of Inuit identity. The theme for the 2016 Inuit Studies Conference invites Elders, knowledge-bearers, researchers, artists, policy-makers, students and others to engage in conversations about the many ways in which traditions shape understanding, while registering social and cultural change. The institutional hosts of "Inuit Traditions," Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Nunatsiavut Government, invite you to contribute to an exchange of knowledge to be held in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, October 7-10, 2016. Presentations on all aspects of Inuit studies will be welcome.

Arctic Technology Conference, October 24-26, 2016 (St. John's, Canada).  Founded in 1969, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is the world's foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection. The Arctic Technology Conference (ATC) is built upon OTC's successful multidisciplinary approach, with 14 technical societies and organizations working together to deliver the world's most comprehensive Arctic event.

Converging Interests: Maritime & Arctic Security & Safety Conference (MASS16), October 27-28, 2016 (Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada). MASS16 will once again focus on the challenges associated with both northern and maritime environments. The aim of the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador supported international conference is to promote stakeholder collaboration, technological innovation, harsh environment research & development, and world-class education efforts that are contributing to various components of northern development. 
 
The 5th Forum for Arctic Modeling and Observational Synthesis (FAMOS) project School and Meeting, November 1-4, 2016 (Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA).The major goals of the meeting are to discuss results of ongoing FAMOS activities, and to plan 2016-2017 coordinated modeling and observing projects, with a special focus on high and very high spatiotemporal resolution processes. You can register here.

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