+ Early Career Forum
Periodically and the Early Career Forum will share research from, and opportunities for, early career researchers working in the polar regions. This regular round-up aims to highlight and celebrate the work being done by early career researchers in Arctic research. If you have information you would like to submit, please see the link below.
Are you or do you know an early career researcher who has recently published work related to the Arctic? We at and the Early Career Forum want to highlight your work! Please fill out this form with any Arctic publications, webinars, posters, etc. and we will share on the Early Career Forum and with our Twitter followers. Anyone who identifies as early career is eligible to submit! Any questions? Email usapecs@gmail.com for more information. Submit documents here: https://forms.gle/S1Gd3jpE4CtSoY6Y6
Early Career Publications
Chartrand, A. M., MacGregor, J. A., Morlighem, M., Sergienko, O. V., Ockenden, H., Colgan, W. T., & Cheng, G. (2026). A vast valley network beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet. Geophysical Research Letters, 53, e2026GL122028. https://doi.org/10.1029/2026GL122028
Keywords: Greenland ice sheet, glaciology, subglacial topography
Trivedi, S., Goyal, R., & Raphael, M. (2026). Extremes in Southern Hemispheric zonal wave‐3 and their impact on Antarctic sea‐ice thickness. Geophysical Research Letters, 53, e2025GL116925. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL116925
Keywords: Antarctic, sea ice thickness, climate model, atmospheric circulation
Opportunities
Serve on the Board
The U.S. Association of Polar Early Career Scientists () is seeking applications for its 2026–2027 Board. Board members work together to develop activities, professional development opportunities, and community initiatives that support Association of Polar Early Career Scientists () members in the U.S. and beyond.
Serving on the board is a great opportunity for early career community members to become more involved in the broader polar science community, contribute new ideas, and help organize programs and activities that benefit polar researchers. Time commitments vary depending on level of involvement, but are typically two to four hours per month.
Apply to be on the Board by August 21, 2026 by emailing usapecs@gmail.com with your name, institution or employer, current position, and a brief statement describing why you would be a good fit for the board and the activities you would like to help organize.
Apply to join the organizing team for the Polar Impact Mentorship Initiative!
The Polar Impact Mentorship Initiative (PIMI) program is a volunteer-run, international program designed to offer support for anyone who identifies as belonging to a historically excluded racial or ethnic group and is involved with work in the polar regions. Polar Impact is encouraging individuals to apply to join the organizing team. Organizing team volunteers are expected to commit to a two-year term with an average of approximately 5 volunteer hours each month. The goal is to have the new organizing team established by early-mid January, solicit applications in May, and begin the new round of PIMI programming in August 2027. This is a great opportunity to help create an impactful mentorship program, expand your professional network, and build skills to list on your CV/resume!
Reach out to pimi@polarimpactnetwork.org with any questions.
Complete the application form by midnight (your local time) on August 14th, 2026. Applicants will be notified of decisions by September 15th, 2026.
Apply to the Early Career Community of Practice for Ethical Engagement with Arctic Communities
Launching in late summer/fall 2026, the Early Career Community of Practice for Ethical Engagement with Arctic Communities is a program for early career researchers working in or connected to the Arctic. Organized by the Navigating the New Arctic Community Office, with support from the Polar Science Early Career Community Office, this cohort-based program creates space to learn, connect, and grow together.
This Community of Practice is centered on exploring how to conduct community-engaged Arctic research thoughtfully, effectively, and ethically. Participants will learn from one another’s experiences while engaging with the principles of convergence research—addressing complex societal challenges through deep, interdisciplinary collaboration. The program is open to those with interests and experiences related to any Arctic region, including Alaska and beyond. This program is open to early career individuals within and outside of traditional academic environments, including those who may have more lived experiences in working with communities, rather than formal training. While the program will draw on lessons from the Navigating the New Arctic () initiative, no prior involvement is required to participate.
The cohort will help shape its own learning journey; discussion topics and areas of focus will be driven by participant interests, with opportunities to lead conversations, contribute to peer learning, and take on shared leadership roles. The program will also build connections to the upcoming 5th International Polar Year and offer a supportive network during a time of global and funding-related challenges.
Participation & Engagement Expectations
Participants are expected to actively contribute to the cohort experience through regular engagement and peer leadership. This includes:
- Attending twice-monthly virtual cohort sessions (with seasonal breaks in winter and summer)
- Co-leading at least one discussion or activity during the program
- Contributing to a collaborative, supportive learning environment
- Participants will be asked to engage for a minimum of one year, and welcomed to continue engaging in the community of practice for as long as they find it useful
This program is open to early career researchers. Please reach out to psecco at colorado.edu with any questions.
Apply using this form by July 31, 2026 at 11:59pm MT (decisions to be announced in August).
Travel Funding
Apply for Fall Meeting Travel Grants by August 12th
Find more grants and scholarships here: https://www.agu.org/honors/scholarships-grants
Other Announcements/Updates
Ice sheet-ocean Decadal Survey white paper seeking community input
During last week’s International Glaciology Society () symposium, a group of us discussed preparing a community white paper on ice sheet-ocean interactions for the 2028-2037 Decadal Survey for Earth Science and Applications from Space (ESAS 2028).
The National Academies are strongly encouraging white papers that demonstrate community support. So, we are preparing a community-driven white paper and seeking input from relevant ice-ocean communities. We want the white paper to reflect a broad range of perspectives.
To help identify the community’s highest-priority science questions and observational needs, we have developed a short survey that takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. Please respond to the survey by July 31st so that we have time to incorporate your feedback into the white paper, which is due on August 24th. Include your email address in the survey if you would like to participate in the zoom meetings that will shape the white paper (first being Tue. July 28th at 1pm EDT/10am PDT) and reach out to us individually if you are on another cryo community white paper that you think could strengthen or be strengthened by referencing this ice-ocean interactions white paper. The ESAS 2028 Request For Information is here, and it outlines requirements for the white paper.
Thank you for your time.
Best,
Marianna Marquardt, Colorado School of Mines
Peter Washam, Cornell University
Tasha Snow, Goddard Space Flight Center