Research Guides
Arctic Sea Ice and International Policy: Arctic Organizations
Repurposed course guide from 2020 Task Force (JSIS 495) section "Arctic Sea Ice and International Policy"
Organizations as Sources of 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
International Organizations
- Arctic CouncilThe leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic Indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on Arctic issues, in particular issues of sustainable development and environmental protection.
Government Agencies
- Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR)Advances Canada's knowledge of the Arctic, strengthens Canadian leadership in polar science and technology, and promotes the development and distribution of knowledge
- Ice forecasts and observationsIce in navigable waters, daily forecasts, charts and graphs, ice science, etc. from the Government of Canada
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Arctic ProgramHighlights 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
Academic Institutes
- 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
- 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.
Non-Governmental Organizations
- 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.
- ArcticNetNetwork 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
- 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
- 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
