NERC Arctic Station
Position: 78° 56′ North 12° East
Purpose: Terrestrial ecology, glaciology, geology, ornithology, hydrology, marine research.
Occupied: 1991 – Present
In 1991 the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) established an Arctic Research Station in the research village of Ny-Ålesund on the Svalbard archipelago. The station, which supports mostly earth and life science field projects, is open in April which has cold spring conditions and through the summer season which lasts from June to September.
Managed by the British Antarctic Survey, who employ a station manager to administer and support activities in and around Ny-Ålesund, the NERC station supports up to forty scientists each year involved in as many as sixteen research projects.
The location is particularly suitable for ecological research, glacial/periglacial geomorphology, hydrology, atmospheric chemistry and marine biology.
The NERC station comprises 440m² of laboratory, workshop and storage space plus single bedrooms (additional accommodation can be provided by the Ny-Ålesund management company, Kings Bay a/s). The Village includes a number of stations of other polar research nations as well as a well equipped marine aquarium and support for SCUBA activities.
NERC posts an annual “Announcement of Opportunity” on both the NERC and BAS web sites inviting scientists to apply for station support. Projects pay their own travel and subsistence costs. A range of funding sources are utilised to work at Ny-Ålesund but NERC funded projects are given priority use of the station. Please refer to the NERC Arctic Station Handbook for further information.
Science proposals are scrutinised for their attention to safety, suitability for the Ny-Ålesund area and compatibility with current projects. Proposals are discussed with appropriate scientists before being submitted to the Ny-Ålesund Science Managers Committee (NySMAC).
The induction processes for individual scientists include; personal information, risk assessments, COSHH assessments, a station handbook, station briefings and field training including firearms, radio, skidoo driving and glacier travel.