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Behind the scenes: International Arctic research planning

July 1, 2025

What does the next decade of Arctic science look like? Who decides which research matters most and how can researchers from �ֻ�ֱ�� shape those priorities?

This spring, ACEP researchers traveled to Boulder, Colorado to take part in two major Arctic gatherings: the and the . Across ten packed days of workshops, town halls and side meetings, our team contributed to shaping a vision for Arctic research to 2035, grounded in data best practices, community collaboration and the real needs of �ֻ�ֱ�� communities. 

Below, you’ll hear directly from ACEP’s delegates as they reflect on reconnecting with global research peers, participating in Indigenous-led planning sessions, sharing new tools for community-engaged data and laying the groundwork for international partnerships.

These reflections offer a behind-the-scenes look at how the future of Arctic science is being written, the essential role relationship building plays in uncovering and developing research priorities, and how ACEP works to ensure that energy research priorities and innovations developed by �ֻ�ֱ�� communities are included. 

Arctic research planning collaboration to 2035

By Vanessa Raymond

A large part of the week in Boulder was dedicated to the (ICARP IV), where seven -- or RPTs -- have spent the past year meeting, doing literature reviews, interviews, surveys and other mixed methods to assess future needs for research planning.

The week included long-form sessions with RPT chairs and members, in preparation for the RPT town halls. They presented the findings of the past years’ work for each research priority, including an overview of their methods, priorities and needs. A large portion of the town halls included soliciting feedback from Arctic researchers, funders and leaders in this space. 

Like other ACEP colleagues, I participated in the day-long RPT5 on Indigenous Knowledge where I am a member and representative delegate from the Arctic Data Committee to ensure that data best practices are reflected in the findings and plans for RPT5. I then attended five of the seven RPT town halls to hear how their process was evolving, what their major findings were and to ask questions about future plans.

As a representative from the Arctic Data Committee, an ACEP employee, someone interested in Arctic security and an Indigenous person involved in Arctic research, my questions centered around the role of applied research and critical infrastructure, Indigenous data sovereignty, Indigenous research rights, as well as the role of Arctic energy security and dual use infrastructure (civilian and military) in the research process as well as infrastructure and system-wide changes needed to ensure data best practices.

As part of this week, I also co-convened a special session with Hazel Shapiro and Sandy Starkweather of the U.S. Arctic Observing Network (AON) on for research planning. Researchers from across the Arctic presented on how their work contributes to an understanding of the societal benefits and impacts of research findings — from increasing pay to observers under the Sea Ice Walrus Observatory (SIWO), to incorporating observations of bearded seals in coastal inland waters into sea ice models, and more.

I presented a on how to make data decisions for community-engaged research, an idea refined by ACEP’s Will Fisher and Elizabeth Dobbins and validated by Dominique Pride. We were able to solicit rich feedback on this flowchart by printing it out on a large banner, and attendees added sticky notes with edits and ideas. We will produce a version 2.0 of this flowchart based on the feedback collected in this session, and present it at the next ASSW.

The findings from this special session as well as all sessions, the town halls and work of the RPTs all flow together to inform the ICARP process, including the ICARP IV report, incorporation into International Polar Year (IPY) planning, and is taken into account by Arctic research decision makers and funders. Want to share your opinions on Arctic research planning? Fill out this short ICARP survey and .

 

A chance to connect, listen and learn at ASSW

By Michelle Wilber

The National Science Foundation’s Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) research community meeting was held on Sunday, March 23 as part of Arctic Science Summit Week. NNA was an effort to focus and support NSF research on the Arctic and heavily emphasized the inclusion and centering of Indigenous research priorities, voices, and participation in the design and implementation of said research. In addition, NNA created a community office to support research teams in implementing best-practices for community-engaged research in the Arctic. The program is coming to a close, with the final awards going out and being completed in the coming years. 

One of the main benefits of these community meetings for myself and other academic researchers is to help further our education, which was grounded in western scientific tradition. While those of us who live and work in �ֻ�ֱ�� already have an understanding of the importance of doing work that benefits and is requested by the communities we are working with, it is helpful for all of us to hear the message “nothing about us without us,” stressing the importance of the inclusion of Indigenous people in the Arctic in any research of the region. This is both a way to break the legacy of paternalistic colonialism as well as strengthen research with the inclusion of traditional knowledge and sciences (an approach exemplified by Cana Uluak Itchuaqiyaq and Corina Qaaġraq Kramer’s ).

These sessions were a great opportunity for me to be quiet, listen, and learn about ways I can improve my own practices as a researcher. 

While no longer funding new research, Arctic research as a whole continues to benefit from this investment in the region — a region that, due to sparse population, unique constraints, and largely Indigenous populations, has traditionally been underfunded.

 

Expanding research networks

By Yu Cao

Participating in the Polar Early Career World Summit as one of the 125 selected early-career researchers, or ECRs, has been an invaluable experience that deepened my commitment to bridging research and policy in the Arctic. PECWS was held alongside ICARP IV and ASSW in Boulder this spring.

The event provided a great opportunity for me to work with other ECRs from around the world on issues relevant to Arctic policy and governance. Over three immersive days, I engaged in collaborative sessions, interdisciplinary workshops and cultural activities emphasizing equity, ethics and community-led knowledge production. My theme group, Bridging Polar Research and Policy, worked closely to co-develop inclusive priorities that foreground Indigenous rights, institutional accountability and accessible science-policy communication. 

As an ECR, this experience has expanded my capacity to contribute meaningfully to policy-relevant science and underscored the importance of clear, accessible communication. The cultural events, such as the Denver March Pow Wow and Indigenous film screenings, helped me connect science with broader social and political realities.

 

Furthering connections for the future

By Magnus de Witt

One of the highlights of attending conferences like the Arctic Science Summit Week is to make new connections and strengthen existing ones in the polar-focused scientific community. It is also a great opportunity to gain insights into the most current research that is taking place in the field.

I’ve been involved in the RATIC (short for ) initiative since 2019, helping organize online talks leading up to the ASSW conference and giving an introductory presentation on the Arctic infrastructure.

This year’s workshop aimed to contribute to the ICARP IV process, and my presentation focused on engineering related to energy infrastructure in the Arctic. I also co-led an engineering and architecture round table and gave another presentation, titled “Arctic energy transition strategies,” for the session on challenges of urban development in the Arctic.

My presentations at ASSW drew attention to my research and ACEP’s research and led to informal conversations afterwards. I hope those discussions could lead to building relationships and to potential joint research projects in the future. To me, such informal conversations are the heart of in-person conferences — even when the coffee isn’t the best, the unexpected conversations with coffee can be.

This year, I took the opportunity at ASSW to try to build some partnerships with international organizations. With a memorandum of understanding between ACEP and the recently established, for example, it was an excellent chance to discuss the next steps of cooperation and joint projects with different representatives of KOPRI. This partnership will increase ACEP’s regional scope in Antarctica. For my research, it will allow my previous results to be applied to new cases and push my research a step further. It will also help me grow professionally in an international and intercultural work environment.

I always cherish private dinners and meetings surrounding conferences, which give me a chance to reconnect with old colleagues and to explore new research ideas. This year’s ASSW did not disappoint me.

 

Connecting with researchers while keeping up with work back home

By Dominique Pride

Despite the many enticing sessions on offer at ASSW, the responsibilities of one’s day job do not disappear simply because one is attending a conference. I spent more time than I would like to admit in my hotel room finishing a proposal that was due that Tuesday spring afternoon. I submitted it just in time to put on a suit and go present on ‘Clean and Affordable Space Heating in the North’ for the ‘3.6 Challenges of Urban Development in the Arctic’ session, which several of my ACEP colleagues attended. During the session, I was surprised to learn of the many research projects taking place in the bustling metropolis of Fairbanks, �ֻ�ֱ��, led by researchers hailing from warmer climes in the lower 48. 

Conferences like ASSW allow researchers to connect and learn from one another and create opportunities for collaboration in the future. The International Arctic research community is big and hails from all over the world. The opportunity to convene at ASSW every few years to share recent research and best-practices creates an incredibly valuable opportunity to network and connect with individuals and information that would otherwise be largely inaccessible. Furthermore, these meetings also contribute to setting the agenda for the next International Polar Year, so it’s really important for there to be a diversity of people in the room.

Despite routine work obligations, I was still able to attend numerous sessions at the conference. I found session ‘5.21. Advancing Co-production in Arctic Research through Institutional Innovation and Change’ of particular interest as it addressed the administrative burden associated with research grants and efforts to reduce that burden so non-academic institutions can lead research projects in their communities.