The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is coordinating a multi-year planning process for the Fourth International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP IV) lasting from 2022 until 2026. The process will engage Arctic researchers, policy makers, residents and stakeholders from around the world to collegially discuss the state of Arctic science.

ICARP IV will consider the most urgent knowledge gaps, Arctic research priorities and needs for the next decade, it will also explore avenues to address these research needs. The ICARP IV process will culminate at the ICARP IV / ASSW 2025 conference to be convened in Boulder Colorado, USA in March 2025, hosted by a consortium of US institutions, including the University of Colorado Boulder, University of Northern Iowa, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Alaska Pacific University.

As a partner in ICARP IV, the University of the Arctic is engaging with its community: UArctic members, their staff and students, Thematic Networks, Chairs, and anyone else interested, for collecting needs and research priorities for the future research.

This is conducted by:

1. An open online survey, which is a starting point for collecting as wide as possible input on personal opinions of the most pressing issues and challenges facing their main northern "region of interest". This region of interest can be the area of the Circumpolar North where they live, work, originally come from, do research in/about, or another connection.
2. The results have been compiled, presented and discussed in the UArctic Thematic Networks leadership team meeting (invitation only) in late April 2023 and in a side-meeting and networking session organised during the UArctic Assembly in Quebec, Canada in May 2023. The ICARP IV pre meeting slides (UArctic Assembly 2023) can be found in the attached pdf.
3. The outcome from this UArctic community engagement will be shared with the ICARP IV steering committee, which will form research priority teams in 2024 for developing the research priorities for ICARP IV in 2025. UArctic will nominate members to these teams and thus will be part of the whole process.

You can read more about the overall ICARP IV process icarp.iasc.info/about/icapr-iv-process and the recommendations of the previous ICARP III process at icarp.iasc.info/past-icarps/icarp-iii.

Video of the Meet UArctic session about the ICARP IV process (March 1, 2023)

For more information on UArctic’s involvement and engagement process contact Vice President Networks Kirsi Latola.

Supported by Global Affairs Canada through by the Global Arctic Leadership Initiative.