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This event is co-sponsored by the Polar Institute and the Global Europe Program.

As the Arctic opens to global activity, its importance in the geopolitical struggle between NATO and Russia continues to grow. Norway is in a unique position in this relationship, with one of the few direct borders between a NATO member and Russia. Norway’s relations with Russia are understandably complex, with deep economic ties and a history of regional cooperation, but also mutual suspicion and elevated concern. Norwegian State Secretary Audun Halvorsen will join us for a conversation on the state of Norwegian-Russian relations and their future trajectory.

Guest Speaker:

Audun Halvorsen
State Secretary to the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs

Discussants:

Matthew Rojansky
Director, Kennan Institute

Daniel S. Hamilton
Director, Global Europe Program; Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Distinguished Fellow

Moderator:

Michael Sfraga
Director, Polar Institute // Director, Global Risk and Resilience Program

Join the Arctic Data Center for an overview webinar about the primary repository for the NSF Arctic Section of the Office of Polar Programs.

Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator Erin McLean will present on the mission of the Arctic Data Center, the data available on the website, and how researchers can both contribute and use data.

This webinar will be recorded.

Weather plays a significant role for people’s lives, livelihoods, and property in Alaska. The ROC stands at the crossroads of weather and communication for the National Weather Service’s Alaska Region and we must remain vigilant of the ever changing weather. We will discuss the National Weather Service’s structure in Alaska and the ROC’s role in supporting National Weather Service operations and partners at all levels.

Please follow the link above to register.

The second Arctic Resilience Forum will be held online as a series of ten weekly webinars launching on October 7, 2020. Each session touches on a specific aspect of Arctic resilience, ranging from food security and Indigenous youth leadership, to gender, energy and connectivity. The forum seeks to actively engage participants in conversations about how to build resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems. It offers the opportunity to discuss concrete best practices and experiences from the Council and the broader community of circumpolar experts and knowledge holders. The Arctic Resilience Forum aims to continue to strengthen cooperation on resilience work.

The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am – 1:00pm (EST) over a series of ten weeks, beginning October 7, 2020. The online series seeks to engage a broad audience in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas, including:

• October 7: Indigenous Youth Leadership
• October 14: Food Security
• October 21: Renewable Energy
• October 28: Human Health and Pandemics
• November 11: Broadband Connectivity
• November 18: Gender
• November 25: Socio-Ecological Resilience
• December 9: Infrastructure
• December 16: Respecting Traditional Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Follow the link above to learn more, register, and to get updates for the whole Arctic Resilience Forum series. Individual session pages will open up with registration for specific events approximately one week in advance. Russian language translation will be available for all session.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites investigators at U.S. organizations to submit proposals for Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIGs) to the Arctic Sciences Section, Office of Polar Programs (OPP) to conduct dissertation-level research about and related to the Arctic region. The Programs that are currently accepting DDRIG proposals are the Arctic Social Sciences (ASSP), Arctic System Science (ARCSS), and Arctic Observing Network (AON) Programs.

The goal of this solicitation is to attract research proposals that advance a fundamental, process, and systems-level understanding of the Arctic's rapidly changing natural environment and social and cultural systems, and, where appropriate, to improve our capacity to project future change. The Arctic Sciences Section supports research focused on the Arctic region and its connectivity with lower latitudes. The scientific scope is aligned with, but not limited to, research challenges outlined in the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee’s five-year Arctic research plan (https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/arctic/iarpc/start.jsp). Given that this solicitation is designed to support early career scientists, this Program will also advance research capacity in Arctic sciences, promote workforce development, and enhance diversity and inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

The Arctic Sciences Section coordinates with programs across NSF and with other federal and international partners to co-review and co-fund Arctic proposals as appropriate. The Arctic Sciences Section also maintains Arctic logistical infrastructure and field support capabilities that are available to enable research.

Speakers:

• Rick Thoman, Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Tom Ballinger, International Arctic Research Center (IARC) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Alison York, Alaska Fire Science Consortium (AFSC) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Gabe Wolken, International Arctic Research Center (IARC) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks & Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Department of Natural Resources
• Ben Jones, Institute of Northern Engineering (INE) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Gerald “JJ” Frost, ABR, Inc.—Environmental Research & Services

Issued annually since 2006, the Arctic Report Card is a timely and peer-reviewed source for clear, reliable and concise observational information on the current state of different components of the Arctic environmental system relative to historical records. The Report Card is intended for a wide audience, including scientists, teachers, students, decision-makers and the general public interested in the Arctic environment and science. This webinar will give a broad overview of the 2020 Arctic Report Card followed by Alaska-focused highlights on the following topics:

• Air temperature
• Wildfires
• Glaciers
• Coastal permafrost
• Greening of the tundra

Please follow the link above to register.

The full report card will be released shortly before this webinar on December 8th. Please check out the full Arctic Report Card (available December 8th onward) and then tune into this webinar to learn more focused on the Alaska context.

The 2020 Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management will be completely virtual!

Registration is opening soon!

For 26 years, the Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management has been a vital networking space for Tribal environmental professionals from across Alaska to learn from one another, connect with support organizations and agencies, and discover resources to help support efforts to improve local environmental health.

Broadband connectivity is a prerequisite for economic growth, education, national security, and the provision of public services in the COVID-19 era. Yet many communities throughout the North American Arctic lack reliable, affordable, and redundant internet access. Insufficient telecommunications and data infrastructure affect critical defense and homeland security assets and missions, while Chinese and Russian investments in the Arctic continue to grow. The region’s dynamic social, environmental, and political landscape requires more advanced, secure telecommunication and data infrastructure.

Please join Polar Institute Director Mike Sfraga for a virtual armchair discussion assessing one company's efforts to enhance telecommunications infrastructure in the Arctic. Quintillion is the owner and operator of the only subsea fiber optic cable system in the North American Arctic. The company's vision includes an expansion connecting Japan to London with Alaska at the fulcrum, as well as key landings in Iceland and Thule Air Force Base in Greenland that have the promise of supporting a broad range of civil, federal, and military needs.

Moderator:

Michael Sfraga
Director, Polar Institute & Director, Global Risk and Resilience Program

Panelists:

George Tronsrue III
Chief Executive Officer, Quintillion

Michael (Mac) McHale
Chief Revenue Officer, Quintillion

General (Ret.) Charles H. Jacoby, Jr.
Senior Strategic Advisor, Quintillion

Please join ARCUS staff, Board members, and Institutional Member representatives for a virtual coffee chat (tea, cocoa, &/or other beverages of your choice also welcome!).

This online social hour will be an opportunity for members of the wider Arctic research community to share news, ask one another questions, and to explore next steps for some of the projects and ideas raised during the 2020 ARCUS Annual Meeting.

The Arctic Security Dialogues, hosted by the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute and Arctic Domain Awareness Center, address a broad spectrum of security issues to include, but not limited to, national security, homeland security, and the many components of civil security. “Toward a U.S. Army Arctic Strategy” is the second program in the series, following the inaugural discussion on the U.S. Air Force Arctic Strategy. The U.S. Army has yet to publish an Arctic Strategy, though one is currently in development.

Please join us for an expert conversation on the developing challenges, emerging opportunities, strategic priorities and essential components that could influence an upcoming U.S. Army Arctic Strategy. A panel of retired U.S. Army General Officers and security experts will contribute perspectives and suggestions on policy, planning and/or operations for drafters to consider in the development of the U.S. Army’s Arctic Strategy.

Moderators:

Michael Sfraga
Director, Polar Institute & Director, Global Risk and Resilience Program

Randy Kee
Global Fellow; Major General, USAF (Retired); Executive Director, Arctic Domain Awareness Center, University of Alaska Anchorage

Introductory Remarks:

Major General Bradley T. Gericke
Director, Strategy, Plans and Policy, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, United States Army, Washington, DC

Major General Peter Andrysiak
Commander, U.S. Army Alaska, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, USA

Panelists:

Brigadier General J.B.P. Carpentier
Commander Joint Task Force North

Iris A. Ferguson
Senior Advisor, Department of the U.S. Air Force’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration, and Requirements

Lieutenant General William B. Garrett III
Former Deputy Commander, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany

Sherri Goodman
Senior Fellow, Polar Institute and Environmental Change & Security Program;
Former U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Environmental Security)

Lieutenant General Mike Shields
Senior Vice President, Advanced Technology for Mission Adoption, CACI International Inc.

Major General Randolph J. Staudenraus
Commander, 175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard, Baltimore, Maryland

Jim Townsend
Global Fellow, Polar Institute; Adjunct Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Security Council, Center for a New American Security; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO