White House Office Of Science and Technology Policy Announces a Bold Strategy to Understand a Changing Arctic
New plan addresses critical research needs and emerging challenges in the U.S. and circumpolar Arctic, will lay groundwork for U.S. Arctic policymaking
Today, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released a bold five-year vision for federal agencies to address emerging research questions about the vital Arctic region – the most rapidly changing region on Earth. The new Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 outlines key research goals that will address community resilience and health, Arctic systems interactions, sustainable economies and livelihoods, and risk management and hazard mitigation. The plan provides a roadmap for federal agencies to nimbly and collaboratively understand and support resilience in the Arctic for the next generation.
“Arctic peoples are experiencing unprecedented warming, changes in plant and animal species distribution, and threats from the global COVID-19 crisis,” said Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee Executive Director Dr. Larry Hinzman. “The Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 supports integrated, knowledge-based action to address the needs of Arctic communities and improve understanding of the impacts of Arctic change on the entire planet.”
The rate at which new research questions are emerging in the Arctic requires strong collaboration and communication. The Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 responds to this need by aiming to deliver science and knowledge to decision makers in the Arctic and beyond. The plan provides pathways to improve coordination among federal agencies working in the Arctic and to strengthen relationships between federal agencies and Indigenous communities, academia and non-federal researchers, the State of Alaska, nonprofits, private sector, and international organizations. This plan presents an innovative approach of enabling Federal and non-Federal scientists and engineers from many disciplines to work collaboratively with Arctic residents to tackle urgent questions and challenges that are being driven by the rapidly changing climate.
“The knowledge to support a sustained, ambitious, and collective response to climate change has never been more necessary or urgent,” said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Deputy Director for Climate and Environment at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “The Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 outlines important steps for the federal government to obtain the information that will enable effective response to the rapid social, environmental, cultural, and geopolitical changes happening in the Arctic.”
The Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 was written and will be implemented by the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC).
More on IARPC: IARPC is chaired by the Director of the National Science Foundation and brings together leaders from 16 agencies, departments, and offices across the U.S. federal government to enhance research in the Arctic. Through its innovative web platform, IARPC Collaborations, IARPC leverages the diverse and broader community of Arctic researchers and residents to implement the five-year Arctic Research Plan.
More information on IARPC and the Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 can be found at iarpccollaborations.org. Inquiries and comments can be sent to plan@iarpccollaborations.org.
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