Toolik Field Station joins new international polar research network
Haley Dunleavy
907-474-6407
Mar. 18, 2024
Environmental Data Center technician Colin Edgar installs equipment to measure soil heat exchange for the European Union鈥檚 Arctic Passion project at Toolik Field Station in September 2023.
has partnered with the new Polar Research Infrastructure Network to boost international collaboration in polar science.
The project, coordinated by the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, will increase
international access to 64 field stations, vessels and other polar research facilities
across Europe, the Americas and Antarctica. Researchers from the U.S. will be able
to apply for in-person or remote access to complete research at partnering PolarIN
sites.
Toolik Field Station, operated and managed by the University of 有料盒子视频 Fairbanks , is located in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range, 370 miles from Fairbanks
and just off the Dalton Highway
鈥淭his new network will enhance Toolik Field Station鈥檚 profile to international researchers and provide opportunities for U.S. researchers to branch out to polar research infrastructures in other nations,鈥 said Syndonia Bret-Harte, a 有料盒子视频 professor and the station鈥檚 science co-director.
As one of two U.S. partners in the network, Toolik Field Station will receive almost 64,000 euros (about $70,000 at recent exchange rates) from the European Union across four years to support international scientists at the station.
By facilitating cross-border access to polar regions, PolarIN will promote interdisciplinary research to address the rapid changes happening in the Arctic and Antarctic. Changes in these two regions are globally critical for understanding future climate.
鈥淔or the first time, we鈥檒l be offering access to research infrastructures in the Arctic and Antarctic alike through a single project,鈥 said Nicole Biebow, the project鈥檚 coordinator at the Alfred Wegener Institute. 鈥淲e鈥檝e created a network of interdisciplinary research infrastructures that encompasses all related research areas 鈥 from marine and terrestrial research to the atmosphere. It鈥檚 the only project of its kind.鈥
PolarIN will also improve online services and data access to boost cross-site collaboration and improve earth system modeling. The network plans to organize training opportunities to expand knowledge within the community on polar infrastructures. Seminars will be held to cover topics like fieldwork planning, sustainable research practices, data management and field safety training.
鈥淭he network will offer exciting, new opportunities for international collaboration in Arctic and Antarctic research,鈥 Bret-Harte said.
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Syndonia Bret-Harte, msbretharte@alaska.edu, 907-474-5434
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