The Union Earth Sciences Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan while participating in the third Arctic Science Ministerial on May 8, 2021, stated that India will continue to continue to play a positive role in deepening the shared understanding of the Arctic through research, observation, international cooperation, and capacity building. The Union Minister also proposed that India can be given the opportunity of hosting the next or the future Arctic Science Ministerial. The theme of the 3rd ASM was ‘Knowledge for Sustainable Arctic.’

Canada pushed for more Arctic research collaboration and for “meaningful and respectful partnerships between Arctic researchers and Indigenous peoples” at a two-day meeting of science ministers that concluded in Japan on Sunday. The 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial held in Tokyo over the weekend brought together officials from several Arctic and non-Arctic countries and representatives from Arctic Indigenous peoples. It focused on using international scientific cooperation to act on urgent challenges facing the Arctic.

Military leaders from 11 European and North American nations concluded two days of strategic discussions focused on Arctic security issues during the annual Arctic Security Forces Roundtable (ASFR) last week. While the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic delayed plans to meet in person in Rovaniemi, Finland, the Finnish military leveraged virtual technology to host the in-depth, time-sensitive discussions focused on current and emerging High North security issues.

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

Weatherwise, it was another eventful winter across western Alaska, from the late Bering Sea ice-up, to yet another stormy and snowy March. Rick will re-cap this winter and look at the most recent climate outlooks for summer on land and sea, focusing on the Bering Strait region. Hear how rural communities can collect winter snowpack data through volunteer "snow courses!"



Meeting ID: 859 5799 8652, Passcode: 752390

Or call: 253-215-8782

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.

Please join us for the virtual launch event on the Pan-Arctic Report on Gender Equality in the Arctic, hosted by the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute with The Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Iceland, The Icelandic Arctic Council Chairmanship, the Icelandic Arctic Cooperation Network, the Stefansson Arctic Institute, the Directorate of Equality in Iceland, and the Institute of Arctic Studies at Dartmouth.

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.

Twenty years ago, the Arctic was more resilient than now as sea ice was three times thicker than today and provided a buffer against the influence of short-term climate fluctuations. The recent decade has seen an increase in Arctic extreme events in climate and ecosystems including events beyond previous records. Such new extremes include Greenland ice mass loss, sea ice as thin and more mobile, coastal erosion, springtime snow loss, permafrost thaw, wildfires, and bottom-to-top ecosystem reorganizations. While their numbers increase, the distribution of the type, location, and timing of extreme events are less predictable. 

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.