Project Groups during the 2025-2026 term

Project Group Leader: Rose Leeger and Holly Ayres

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) group is a multi-year project group first established in 2016. Since that time, the project group has worked on a number of initiatives to promote inclusion within APECS and the broader polar science community. Previous work has included organizing several webinars (e.g., Bias in professional relationships, How polar funding agencies are changing their policies to be more inclusive, Harassment in the field), creating DEI-related resources, acting as liaisons for DEI-related issues within APECS, and developing a mentorship database for ECRs. The success of these tasks has stemmed from our structure as an “umbrella organization” in which each task has been tackled by different coordinating activity groups. Together, these activity groups work towards the common goal of promoting events and policies that increase the sense of community within our membership and polar science. By developing resources to engage ECRs in DEI topics, we hope to start conversations about how to reduce instances of discrimination and harassment in our field. This, in turn, serves to bring polar science to a place that highlights the voices of marginalized community members and reconciles its troubling association with colonialism, racism, and sexism. Through these actions, the DEI group aims to follow APECS’ philosophy of building networks to aid ECRs through the burdens of systemic biases.

Project Group Leader: Kate Ortenzi and Ella Daly

Polar Times is the APECS Podcast! We aim to produce episodes on a regular basis that will appeal to those interested in polar science or the natural world. The podcast will cover polar science, environmental science, and general science topics through dedicated episodes. As a project group member, you'll have the chance to edit episodes, write episodes, organize interviews, influence the creative direction of the podcast, participate in publishing and marketing the podcast, and select podcast topics. We would like to have a diverse team to help us create fun, informative and creative content. We live in eventful times, and though they are sometimes out of mind, and often out of sight, these are also Polar Times!

Project Group Leaders: Moriz Steiner and Cameron Markovsky

This project will continue the development of the Polar Earth Observation (EO) database. This digital resource aims to improve the accessibility of EO data across the polar regions and break down traditional barriers in using such data sets encountered by Early Career Researchers (ECRs). The objectives of this project year will be to: 1) Provide all datasets within the database free of charge, with complete Open Access to everyone and underlying ISO-compliant metadata to allow for unconstrainted use, correct understanding and intended interpretation of the data provided; 2) Enhance the functionality of the Polar EO database through the development of new tools; 3) develop strategies to increase the content of the database through initiatives such as crowd-sourcing and the incorporation of citizen science; and 4) continue to enhance knowledge of the range of data sets accessible for polar research, as well as the potential and constraints of remote sensing sensors, particularly in the polar regions.

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Mental Health is an issue that affects all of us in some way or another (good mental health included), but poor mental health is widely documented in academia and particularly impacts early-career researchers (ECRs). Polar researchers are faced with a unique set of challenges and potential stressors including remote, dangerous and/or lengthy field work, long lengths of days/nights, overwintering, isolation, lack of diversity and inclusion, and funding. The Mental Health Resources PG aims to (1) raise awareness and (2) provide resources surrounding the theme of mental health for ECRs. The main goal of this PG is to establish resources for mental health concerns and make them easily accessible for the APECS community through the APECS webpage. In order to do so, a mental health database for resources has been created during the past terms. Resources span from (scientific) articles to blog posts, videos, and online-courses, and will be continuously updated with the option for APECS members to submit their own resources. Database maintenance is one task of the project group alongside various other ways to raise awareness of the topic of mental health. For the coming term, we would like to distribute the established resources through webinars and social media as well as create short videos, blog articles (including personal stories of APECS members), a podcast episode in collaboration with the APECS podcast Polar Times, and many other creative ways in raising awareness of mental health issues (in academia and polar research). We always welcome new members and new ideas to speak more about our mental health.

Project Group Leader: Amy Macfarlane 

The responsible science initiative was born from a group of scientists working on minimizing any negative environmental and social impacts of their research while maximizing the scientific impact. The scientific community widely agrees that polar and alpine research is essential for understanding and protecting sensitive environments, but considering and weighing the consequences has been largely undiscussed. In large part, this stems from a fear that recognising the negative impacts of scientific research on the environment will harm the image of the scientific community; we counter that as stewards of science and the environment, leading the charge in this way is necessary to set a precedent for the wider community.

APECS RISE:

• Provides opportunities to influence and contribute to the current shift in sustainable scientific practices
• Provides ECRs with a framework and support to establish new methods for conducting responsible science within their institutes and projects (which is not easy as a "newcomer" in an established project)
• Creates a network of environmentally responsible fieldwork researchers
• Provides education and awareness to the scientific community through ongoing discussions

Project Group Leader: Chrishma Perera and Ciara Metcalfe

Every year, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) hosts an international summit during which world leaders, NGOs, and other influential actors come together and discuss both the current state of climate change and steps that must be taken to mitigate future environmental damage. This project group aims to give APECS members the opportunity to participate in these landmark conferences. We will spend most of the term organizing and developing APECS-run booths, workshops, and/or panels to be held at the conference. Then, in November, members of the project group will have the chance to attend the UNFCCC's summit as part of an APECS delegation, giving them the opportunity to meet other climate professionals and take part in the world's largest climate summit. This project group is an exciting way for ECRs to make connections and get directly involved in the fight against climate change. 

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The APECS International Mentorship Award is designed to recognize the time and energy that mentors devote to Early Career Researchers each year, and their efforts to build a community of support. This Project Group will prepare the call, collect nominations for the APECS International Mentorship Award, organize the evaluation and announcement of the new recipient. See more information on the selection process and past recipients on the APECS Website.

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This Project Group coordinates activities for and communication within the wider network of ECRs working with Svalbard topics. During this group’s first term, the group will identify the role and desired outcomes of the Svalbard ECR Network and will lay the foundation for the network’s development. The group coordinates closely with the Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System Knowledge Centre (SIOS-KC) to ensure that ECRs are well integrated into SIOS initiatives. A main aim of this PG is to organize an annual gathering of the Svalbard ECR network at either the Svalbard Science Conference or Polar Night Week (or another relevant event).

Project Group Leader: Sarah Bachinger and Iandrique Gibson Aua Kinau

APECS Art is focused on polar art and promoting links between art and science. APECS Art is not limited by specific disciplines of art, areas of science or territorial belonging of its members or collaborators. The main thing that unites APECS Art is a passion for polar areas, and curiosity about how modern art or cultural heritage reflect changes in polar regions. We want to enable more precise and targeted collaboration between polar artists and scientists as well as enhance visibility of art as a tool for scientific outreach. Our group has organized several polar art & science webinars, collaborated with the APECS International Online Conference, and provided polar art related content for Polar Weeks. The group also hosts an art blog on the APECS website to showcase artwork and more detailed interviews with artists.

Project Group Leader: Moriz Steiner

The Polar Weeks seek to celebrate the Arctic and Antarctica twice per year, in March and September. In addition, each year on 1 December, the international polar community celebrates Antarctica Day to commemorate the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, considered one of the most successful international agreements, particularly for preserving and promoting global peace, stability, and cross-cultural collaboration in Antarctica.
These events aim to showcase the importance of polar regions through diverse voices from polar communities. In this interdisciplinary project group, you can brainstorm with fellow group members and implement your ideas to foster fruitful networking and an engaging set of events to come. While preparing, promoting, and broadcasting these events, we are also not limited to one type of media; we can host webinars, post videos or interviews, and collaborate with other project groups (e.g., the Podcast Project Group, Art Group) to produce something highly captivating. Join us with your curiosity, perspectives, and enthusiasm about the poles, and let's create an inspiring Antarctica Day in 2025 and awesome APECS Polar Weeks in 2026! The overarching purpose of the group is to promote the worldwide celebration of the beauty of the frozen continent and the importance it has in the global climate and ocean. Thereby, conveying awareness of whatever happens at the poles doesn’t stay at the poles, but influences each and every one of us on a global scale in one way or another, particularly in times of rapidly accelerating climate change.

Project Group Leader: Alex Aves and Vaibhavi Dwivedi

The APECS Polar Plastics PG is an initiative dedicated to building a network of early career researchers (ECRs) focused on plastic pollution in the polar regions. As plastic pollution continues to reach even the most remote ecosystems on Earth, there is an urgent need for interdisciplinary, international, and inclusive collaboration to deepen our understanding of its presence and impact in these vulnerable environments. Around the world, ECRs are conducting vital research on plastics in the Arctic and Antarctic. This group seeks to foster dialogue, spark collaborative project ideas, and drive meaningful action in the polar plastics space. Our goal is to bring together a diverse community of passionate and knowledgeable ECRs to advance collective understanding, share ongoing research, network, and create a platform that empowers early career scientists to contribute to solutions and inspire positive change.