About IARPC and IARPC Collaborations
What is ?
– pronounced eye-ar-pick – is the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee. By bringing together leaders from 18 agencies, departments, and offices across the U.S. federal government, we enhance research in the Arctic.
was created in 1984 under the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (). The act called for a comprehensive national policy focused on research needs and objectives in the Arctic. It established and our sibling organization, the Arctic Research Commission (), to help implement the act.
In July 2010, a presidential memo established as an interagency working group of the National Science and Technology Council (). The director of the National Science Foundation serves as ’s chair.
What is Collaborations?
Collaborations is a platform that connects federal government researchers, non-federal researchers, and Arctic communities—including those overseas—to work together on pressing Arctic research issues. It supports the five-year Arctic Research Plan.
Collaborations is free and open to anyone who can contribute, regardless of their role in Arctic research. The website has supported an unprecedented degree of interagency communication, coordination, and collaboration that has advanced Arctic science. Our member space includes more than 3,000 members of the Arctic research community, including those from federal, state, academic, non-profit, industry, Indigenous, and international organizations. communities of practice meet regularly via Zoom to advance research priorities.
Sign up for an account today.
Danielle Brigida/
What does consider "the Arctic"?
Under the Arctic Research and Policy Act, the Arctic is defined as:
- All U.S. and foreign territory north of the Arctic Circle;
- All U.S. territory north and west of the boundary formed by the Porcupine, Yukon, and Kuskokwim rivers;
- All contiguous seas, including the Arctic Ocean and the Beaufort, Bering, and Chukchi seas; and
- The Aleutian chain.
What is the Arctic Research Plan?
Graphic showing the structure of the Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026, including the policy drivers (top icons), priority areas (red), and foundational activities (blue).
Every five years, is required by law () “to prepare and execute an Arctic Research Plan in coordination with the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, the Governor of the State of Alaska, residents of the Arctic, the private sector, and public interest groups.”
The plan outlines a vision for federal agencies to address emerging research questions about the Arctic, and provides pathways to strengthen relationships between federal agencies and Indigenous communities, academia and other non-federal researchers, the state of Alaska, nonprofits, and private sector organizations. It is implemented in part through Collaborations.
The Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 was released in December 2021. The first implementation plan focuses on deliverables to be completed by 2024.
You can also read about the accomplishments of the 2017-2021 plan.
Kathryn Hansen/
Who is involved in ?
As an interagency body, has several levels of staff and participants. is organized into Principals, Staff Group, and the Secretariat.
Principals: The Principals include one policy-level member from 16 federal agencies responsible for the U.S. investment in research in the Arctic, as well as representatives from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of Management and Budget. The Principals meet annually to provide policy advice and direction. They also develop the five-year Arctic Research Plan, and sometimes direct the staff group to address particular issues.
Staff Group: The Staff Group includes program managers from 's member agencies, and may include multiple representatives from one agency. It was created as an unofficial body to respond to directions from the Principals and to complete ’s day-to-day work. The Assistant Director for Polar Sciences in White House Office of Science and Technology Policy serves as Executive Director of and chairs the Staff Group. The Staff Group’s main tasks are organizing and coordinating the development and implementation of the five-year Arctic Research Plan.
Secretariat: The Secretariat assists the Principals, Staff Group, and collaboration teams and communities of practice in facilitating interagency coordination. It aids the implementation of the Arctic Research Plan by supplying hands-on support to teams.
Who is involved in Collaborations?
In addition to the staff and participants, Collaborations hosts many communities of practice. Some of these groups assist with the implementation of the Arctic Research Plan through research and community engagement, while others provide space for researchers and other community members to organize around other important topics. These teams are open to anyone who wishes to participate. They include members from federal agencies, state of Alaska agencies, Indigenous communities and organizations, academic institutions, nonprofits, and the private sector. They use the Collaborations website to communicate and many meet monthly via Zoom.
What are the Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic?
Researchers working in the Arctic have a responsibility to respect local and Indigenous cultures and knowledge and advance stewardship of the Arctic environment. The core Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic are:
- Be Accountable
- Establish Effective Communication
- Respect Indigenous Knowledge and Cultures
- Build and Sustain Relationships
- Pursue Responsible Environmental Stewardship
Land Acknowledgement
The circumpolar Arctic is the contemporary home to many different Indigenous Peoples. As researchers and others who are working in or residing in the Arctic, we recognize these lands and waters as the mostly unceded traditional homelands of Indigenous Peoples. honors and recognizes the place-based knowledge of Arctic Indigenous Peoples and their ancestral and contemporary stewardship of their homelands.
(Adapted from Arctic Science Summit Week 2020)