News

Memorandum of Understanding between APECS and PEI

APECS_PEI_logo On May 23rd 2013, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and Polar Educators International (PEI) was signed by APECS Director Alexey Pavlov and the PEI Executive Committee Member Sarah Bartholow and will stand through December of 2015. The MoU is based on the mutual interest of APECS and PEI in engaging, supporting and promoting polar science education, outreach, and communication (EOC). Through this agreement, the APECS Executive Committee and the PEI Executive Committee will strive to identify and collaborate on mutually beneficial activities towards strengthening that interest.

A great benefit of this MoU is standing reciprocal council positions within each organization. Currently the council liaison for APECS to PEI is held by Christie Wood, and the PEI liaison to APECS is Sarah Bartholow.

Thanks to the initiatives of the recent International Polar Year to bring outreach efforts to the forefront of the polar science community, APECS has worked to strengthen professional development for early career researchers on effective outreach, while PEI is the formal structure for a global professional network for those who educate in, for, and about the polar regions.

PEI and APECS have already been working together on events such as International Polar Week and activities such as Cool Speakers. The two organizations will work closely to align their objectives and goals for public science literacy campaigns, support for polar scientists engaging in education and outreach efforts, and educators' exposure to current polar science and practices.

The Arctic Biodiversity Assessment released

The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council has released the ABAScience

“Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA),” a report containing the best available science informed by traditional ecological knowledge on the status and trends of Arctic biodiversity and accompanying policy recommendations for biodiversity conservation.

Please find attached a press package including a press release (available in English, Finnish and Inuktitut), a summary of the key findings and policy recommendations arising from the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment Report for Policy Makers (available in English, Russian and Inuktitut). As well as some backgrounders and photos for press use. This information can also be found on the ABA website: www.arcticbiodiversity.is , which we hope you will visit.

More detailed information on the status and trends of Arctic biodiversity can be found in the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment report and the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment Synthesis.

The ABA, involving over 250 scientists has been produced by some of the world’s leading experts and was presented to the Foreign Ministers of the Arctic Council countries at the Arctic Council Ministerial on May 15. This major circumpolar effort provides a much needed description of the state of biodiversity in the Arctic. The ABA:

· creates a baseline for use in global and regional assessments of Arctic biodiversity which will inform and guide future Arctic Council work;

· provides up-to-date knowledge gathered from scientific publications supplemented with insights from traditional knowledge holders;

· identifies gaps in the data record;

· describes key mechanisms driving change; and

· presents science-based suggestions for action on addressing major pressures on Arctic biodiversity.

If you have any questions please contact Mark Marissink, ABA Steering Committee Chair, Tom Barry, Executive Secretary, CAFF International Secretariat or Courtney Price, Communications Officer, CAFF International Secretariat.

You can also follow CAFF on Twitter @CAFFSecretariat or on our Arctic Biodiversity Facebook page.

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Join the APECS Research Sites Working Group Today!

We are launching the renewed Research Sites Working Group!

We have a lot of activities for this year and are looking for your help.

248px-troll_research_station_antarctica The Research Sites Working Group is composed of APECS members who remember how challenging it was to start field research programs in remote polar regions. We’re working hard to create a map-based interactive resource that you can use to do some research on your future field sites or field stations well in advance of your field season.

We’ll have links to field station websites, similar to other on-line polar resources, but also a section where station users can post comments and tips! This is a great way to find out what equipment, supplies and infrastructure are in place at your future field site – and also a great way to discover other useful tips and tricks.

Tips and tricks can include just about anything: how to ship equipment to your site, where to get a haircut after your field season, fun things to do on days off, where to find free WiFi, the best restaurant in the nearest town, and local “can’t miss” attractions or community events.

We’re also hoping this turns into a resource that APECS members use to meet fellow researchers and form collaborations before heading into the field – and to stay in touch with friends and colleagues once the field season is over.

If you’re interested in joining the Research Sites Working Group, please let us know at research-sites@apecs.is.

INTERACT is seeking for a Transnational Access Board member for 2013-2014

APECS is happy to announce another great opportunity for the young scientists!

INTERACT –The International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic– is a consortium of 33 institutions from northern Europe, Russia, US, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Scotland, funded 2011-2014 by the EU PF7 Infrastructures-program. The network currently consists of over 50research stations, 20of which offer Transnational Access.

INTERACT seeks to build capacity for research and monitoring in the European Arctic and beyond, and is offering research groups Transnational Access to conduct research free of charge at 20terrestrial research stations in the northernmost Europe and Russian Federation. The sites represent a variety of glacier, mountain, tundra, boreal forest, peatland and freshwater ecosystems, providing opportunities for researchers from natural sciences to human dimension.

The applications for Transnational Access undergo a scientific evaluation made by a Transnational Access Board (TA Board) that consists of five experts external to INTERACT and five representatives of stations in particular geographical regions. INTERACT is now seeking for an external early-career expert to join the TA Board. Post-doctoral scientists specialized on glaciology or animal ecology are preferred, but specialists on other fields of research with an Arctic or northern focus are also welcome to apply.

The tasks of a TA Board member include participation in the scientific evaluation of the submitted Transnational Access applications and attendance at the related TA Board meetings, both held twice per year. TA Board members do not receive financial compensation for their membership, but the travel and accommodation costs to the meetings are reimbursed by INTERACT. An early career scientistparticipating on the INTERACT TA Board willbenefit from working with distinguished scientists atan international level, and from gaining valuable experience and insight of the evaluation process for future expert positions.

If you are a post-doctoral researcherworking on one of the themes mentioned above and are interested in this great opportunity to join the INTERACT Transnational Access Board, please e-mail to info@apecs.isincluding yourstatement of interest noting your research interests and experience (no more than one side of A4) and yourCV (no more than two pages of A4) in a single PDF-file by 31st May 2013.

For more information about the position, please contac tDr Hannele Savela, INTERACT Transnational Access Coordinator, hannele.savela@oulu.fi.

Should you have any other questions, please contact Yulia Zaika at yzaika@inbox.ru

High Arctic research station saved by new funding

Canada's northernmost research lab won't have to shut down after all and will be able to resume year-round operations, with the help of a new grant from the federal government.

CBC Canada

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