Arctic & Northern Studies: Arctic Organizations

American & Canadian Studies, European Studies, International Studies, Arctic, Canada, Canadian Studies, Northern Studies

Arctic Organizations as Sources for Publications and Data

Governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental groups concerned with the Arctic are numerous. These organizations will typically produce reports and other publications including policy statements or recommendations, assessments, commentaries, datasets, directories, online tools, annual reports, meeting notes, etc. Many of these documents are not indexed in scholarly bibliographic databases. On the other hand, their publications tend also to be open-access, and can be accessed and downloaded directly from the organization's website. To find them, go to the organization's website and look for sections such as:

publications - documents - reports - resources - research - products
library - archive(s) - repository
meetings - conferences - workshops
news - newsletters - press
research - projects - working groups

Government Agencies

Several national governments have an agency focusing on research in the Arctic region. These can be a good source of reports, assessments, policy recommendations, original research, news, directories, and more.

UNITED STATES

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Arctic Program
Highlights the National Atmosphere and Oceanic Administration's commitments to science, service, and stewardship in the Arctic
National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)
Supports research into the world's frozen realms: the snow, ice, glaciers, frozen ground, and climate interactions that make up Earth's cryosphere
United States Arctic Research Commission (USARC)
Independent agency advising the President and Congress on domestic and international Arctic research through recommendations and reports

OTHER COUNTRIES

International Organizations

European Polar Board
Independent organization including research institutes, scientific academies, and other polar operators across Europe, focused on major strategic priorities in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions
International Arctic Research Center (IARC)
IARC's mission is to foster Arctic research to help America and the world understand, prepare for, and adapt to the pan-Arctic impacts of climate change
International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)
Non-governmental, international scientific organization for encouraging and facilitating cooperation in all aspects of Arctic research, in all countries engaged in Arctic research and in all areas of the Arctic region, promoting and supporting leading-edge interdisciplinary research to foster a greater understanding of the Arctic region and its role in the Earth system
International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA)
Promotes international cooperation of social scientists in Arctic research, communication and coordination with other research organizations, active sharing of scientific information in the Arctic social sciences, and communication and collaboration between social scientists and northern people
International Study of Arctic Change (ISAC)
International, interdisciplinary Arctic environmental change program encompassing pan-Arctic, system-scale, multidisciplinary observations, synthesis and modelling to provide an integrated understanding of Arctic change and projections of future change
International Union for Circumpolar Health (IUCH)
Organization dedicated to the health problems and needs of the circumpolar regions and northern peoples
Northern Forum
International organization composed of sub-national or regional governments from several northern countries (Finland, Iceland, Russia, South Korea, United States)

Non-Governmental Organizations

The Arctic Institute | Center for Circumpolar Security Studies
Interdisciplinary, independent research center focused on Arctic policy issues. Aims to provide the objective analysis and looks at the Arctic as a region characterized by international and inter-sectoral cooperation.
ArcticNet
Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada bringing together scientists and managers in the natural, human health and social sciences with partners from Inuit organizations, northern communities, government agencies and the private sector to study impacts of climate change in the coastal Canadian Arctic
Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS)
ARCUS is a non-profit corporation consisting of institutions organized and operated for educational, professional, or scientific purposes.
The Gordon Foundation
Papers, essays and policy publications related to Canada's water resources and the North.
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The Foundation undertakes research, leadership development and public dialogue so that public policies in Canada reflect a commitment to collaborative stewardship of our freshwater resources and to a people-driven, equitable and evolving North.
GRID-Arendal - Polar and Climate Programme
Supports environmentally sustainable development through work with the UN Environment Programme and others; addresses impact of climate change in polar and high-mountain regions
Hudson Bay Consortium
Interjurisdictional consortium for research and environmental governance in Hudson Bay. Meeting reports available 2014-
Oceans North
"...supports made-in-the-Arctic solutions through partnerships with indigenous organizations and northern communities that have a vested interest in Arctic ecological resilience and abundance"
The Polar Connection
London-based international, independent think-tank dedicated to Arctic, Nordic, North Atlantic, North Pacific and Antarctic affairs.
Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH)
Collaborative program of Arctic researchers, funding agencies, etc. facilitating synthesis of Arctic science and communicating current understandings to help society respond to a changing Arctic. Focuses on global impact of shrinking land ice, diminishing sea ice, and degrading permafrost
University of the Arctic (UArctic)
UArctic is an international cooperative network based in the circumpolar region, consisting of universities and other organizations with an interest in promoting education and research in the North.
World Wildlife Fund - Arctic Programme
WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment, and build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

Academic Institutes & Centers

Arctic Centre - University of Lapland
Multidisciplinary research groups study the changing Arctic out of this center of excellence in Rovaniemi, Finland
Arctic Institute of North America (AINA)
The institute's mandate is to advance the study of the North American and circumpolar Arctic through the natural and social sciences, the arts and humanities and to acquire, preserve and disseminate information on physical, environmental and social conditions in the North
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR)
University of Colorado Boulder's institute for polar and alpine regions, focusing on environmental challenges spanning local, regional, and global scales. Research covers human and ecosystem ecology, climate, oceanography, and more.
Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI)
Institute at University of Cambridge whose mission is to enhance understanding of the polar regions through scholarly research and publication, education, and projecting the history and significance of the polar regions to the wider community.