Welcome

Welcome to the Polar Research Board (PRB). The PRB is a unit of The National Academies, which is comprised of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council. The PRB provides independent analysis to the federal government and the nation on matters of science and technology research needs, environmental quality, natural resources, and other issues in the Arctic, the Antarctic, and cold regions in general.



The next Polar Research Board meeting will take place November 17-18, 2009 at the National Academy of Sciences Main Building in Washington, DC.
Download the agenda (pdf)



New Report: Scientific Value of Arctic Sea Ice Imagery Derived Products

Press Release

During the 1990s, environmental scientists and members of the intelligence community collaborated to consider potential uses of classified assets and data to advance the understanding of environmental change. This program collected classified overhead imagery at six sites around the Arctic basin. Hundreds of unclassified products derived from those images have been produced but not yet released to the public. The National Research Council has reviewed the derived products, and reports that they show detailed processes that are important for studying effects of climate change on sea ice and habitat--data that are not available elsewhere. The report recommends that the products be released as soon as possible to the scientific research community.

More...



Registration and Call for Abstracts
2010 State of the Arctic Conference
16-19 March 2010
Miami, Florida

Abstract submission and registration is now open for the 2010 State of the Arctic Conference!

The State of the Arctic Conference will be held 16-19 March 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Miami in Miami, Florida. The main goal of the conference is to review our understanding of the arctic system in a time of rapid environmental change. It will provide an open international forum for discussion of future research directions aimed toward a better understanding of the arctic system and its trajectory. Further information about the conference can be found at: http://soa.arcus.org.

The Organizing Committee is inviting abstracts for oral parallel sessions and poster sessions. There are 18 session topics, organized under the main conference themes. The sessions have been structured to facilitate cross-disciplinary exchange and discussion. Each session is designed to incorporate abstracts from the social, physical, natural, and political sciences, and encourages multi- and cross-disciplinary submissions. Some abstracts might fit under more than one session--in such cases we encourage submission to the session that seems to offer the best fit. There is no cost for abstract submission.

The Organizing Committee and Session Chairs will refine the program and may change, create, or combine sessions, depending on the submitted abstracts. The Organizing Committee may also convene sessions on special focus topics, as appropriate. Abstracts will be reviewed as they are submitted, and authors will be notified of acceptance in January.

Abstract Submission Deadline: Monday, 14 December 2009

To submit an abstract, please go to:
http://soa.arcus.org/abstracts.

To register, please go to:
http://soa.arcus.org/register.

For questions about abstract submission, contact:
Judy Fahnestock, ARCUS
Email: judy@arcus.org




Message from Reina Lahtinen, Students on Ice Expeditions

Students on Ice Expeditions is proud to announce the launch of our third and final International Polar Year Arctic Expedition, a student expedition focused on scientific and environmental education.

As an IPY member, we are contacting you for assistance promoting this opportunity to students from your country. The goal of the upcoming IPY Arctic Expedition 2009 is to engage youth in global scientific and social polar research. The ship-based journey will involve 75 students from around the world, ages 14 to 19, accompanied by world-renowned scientists, environmentalists and polar educators.

This is all part of leaving an International Polar Year legacy. We invite you as IPY National Committee Members to encourage youth leaders in your communities to apply to join us on our Arctic Expedition taking place this summer (July 29th - August 13th, 2009). Our 16-day Arctic expedition will begin in Ottawa, Canada with two days of pre-expedition work-shops and a media launch event where our 75 youth participants will be the guests of honour! We depart Ottawa and fly direct to Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, where we will board an ice-class ship and set sail for the Arctic!

To view the detailed itinerary, expedition fee, or download an application form, visit www.studentsonice.com

The education program incorporates presentations, hands-on workshops, naturalist seminars, and small group discussions, which explore how youth can be effective agents of change and contribute to positive action. This expedition is an unprecedented opportunity for youth to be exposed to communities in the Canadian Arctic and learn how the North is responding to cultural impacts from climate change and other environmental pressures. The goal of the expedition is to educate and inspire youth through experiential learning to be leaders in our global community and stewards of the natural environment.

Endorsed by the IPY Joint Committee, our 2007-2009 IPY expedition series represents the largest IPY education and outreach initiative for youth in the world!

For more information, please contact:

Reina Lahtinen
Operations Manager
Students on Ice Expeditions
Natural Heritage Building, 1740 chemin Pink
Gatineau (Québec) J9J 3N7 CANADA
T 819-827-3300 | TF 866-366-6423 | F 819-827-9951
E expedition@studentsonice.com | www.studentsonice.com



Message from SCAR's Executive Officer

Dear Colleagues,

SCAR is announcing the launch of its 2009-10 Fellowship Programme, which this year is in two parts:

(i) the Standard SCAR Fellowship - for postgraduate and/or post- doctoral researchers from within the 35 SCAR Member countries to undertake research at an institute in another SCAR country.

(ii) SCAR/IPF/IAI/UNEP Sixth Continent Initiative Fellowships - for postgraduate and/or post-doctoral researchers from within the 35 SCAR Member countries, or from non-traditional polar countries, to undertake research and development activities in the Antarctic.

The SCAR Fellowship Programme is designed to encourage the active involvement of early career scientists and engineers in Antarctic scientific research, and to strengthen international capacity and cooperation in Antarctic research.

Please could you encourage candidates to apply to this scheme, which has proven very successful to date. Note that the deadline for submissions is the 15th of May.

News Item
Further details

Regards,
Mike Sparrow (SCAR Executive Officer)



Report Available: Exploration of Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments: Environmental and Scientific Stewardship.

At the request of the National Science Foundation, this report assesses what is needed to responsibly explore subglacial lakes. The report concludes that it is time for research on subglacial lakes to begin, and this research should be guided by internationally agreed upon protocols. The report suggests an initial protocol, which includes full characterization of the lakes by remote sensing, and minimum standards for biological and other types of contamination.
Read Online/Purchase
Download Report Brief

Contact Information:
Polar Research Board
The National Academies
500 5th Street, NW, Keck-603
Washington, DC 20001
Telephone: (202) 334-3479
Fax: (202) 334-3825

Please direct inquiries to the Director, Chris Elfring.

The National Academies Building is located one block west of the Judiciary Square Metro Station and two blocks east of the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro Station. For detailed directions, click here.