NERC Arctic Office Bulletin – July 2025

1st July 2025

 

Opportunity to apply for travel bursaries to attend the Arctic Circle Assembly and the Greenland Science Week Conference

The UK Government recently announced funding to further support impactful Arctic science engagement, a scheme that will run in 2025-2026. As part of this scheme, we are able to offer travel bursaries for UK-based early – mid career researchers to attend one of the following major international Arctic events in 2025:

The Arctic Circle Assembly is the largest annual gathering on Arctic affairs, bringing together governments, organisations, corporations, universities, Indigenous communities, and civil society for inclusive and wide-ranging dialogue on Arctic issues.

The Greenland Science Week Conference is an internationally recognised, multidisciplinary conference that serves as a platform for bringing together Arctic expertise from various fields, including the social sciences, humanities, physical sciences, and life sciences. It provides a unique opportunity for researchers and professionals to collaborate, exchange ideas, and explore the varied aspects of research in Greenland.

Participation in these events will provide valuable training and development opportunities for the next generation of UK-based Arctic researchers, while also encouraging new international collaborations.

Full details available here: https://www.arctic.ac.uk/news/supporting-impactful-uk-arctic-science-engagement-scheme-travel-bursaries/
Deadline to apply: 1 August 2025

UK Arctic Science Conference 2025
Northumbria University, Newcastle, will host the next UK Arctic Science conference on 9 -11 September 2025. Please find more details about the conference and a link to register here: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/news-events/events/2025/09/uk-arctic-science-conference-2025/

Community feedback has shaped the conference programme to 1) identify key priorities for the UK Arctic science community and 2) present new Arctic-related science through an extended poster session (poster format A0 size, portrait orientation).  In addition, we will also have an early career researcher workshop on the morning of 9th September (International Polar Year 2032-33: Overview and pathways to contribute) and a ‘Polar Beers’ event the same evening, organised by the UK Polar Network.

Registration costs have been kept to a minimum. For waged staff it will cost £43.50, which includes the conference dinner. For current undergraduate/Masters/PhD students it is free, also including the conference dinner.

Deadline for registration: 31 August 2025

Reminder: Call for applications: Global Change in the polar regions:  An introduction to safe and effective fieldwork for NERC and UKRI funded PhD students – deadline 1 July
Are you a PhD student eager to gain hands-on experience in the polar regions? This is your opportunity to develop essential field skills in one of the most extraordinary environments on Earth. Join us for an immersive training course at the NERC Arctic Research Station in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard supported by UK Government. Over six days, you’ll work alongside leading UK polar scientists and operations managers to learn how to turn bold scientific ideas into safe, practical, and impactful fieldwork. This course is designed for NERC and UKRI-funded PhD students whose research focuses on the polar regions but who have limited or no fieldwork experience. PhD students from under-represented and minority groups are actively encouraged to apply.

Further details available here: NERC BAS Advanced Training Short Course – British Antarctic Survey
Application Deadline: 23:59 on 1 July 2025

Reminder: Call for applications: ‘Supporting Impactful UK Arctic Science Engagement Scheme’ – deadline 25 July 2025
An opportunity has been launched for researchers based in the United Kingdom to apply for funding (up to £30,000), provided by the UK Government, to support practical research and engagement that aligns with the work of the Arctic Council’s Working Groups, and the priorities and initiatives of The Kingdom of Denmark’s Chairship 2025 -2027. The aims of this funding scheme are to:

  • support the active and effective work of projects across the six Arctic Council Working Groups and beyond;
  • provide valuable opportunities for UK-based researchers to share and expand their expertise, for mutual benefit; and
  • support the UK’s role as a committed and active Observer to the Arctic Council addressing priorities of joint benefit.

The scheme is being delivered in active partnership with the NERC Arctic Office and the UK Science and Technology Network.

Full details of the call available here: https://www.arctic.ac.uk/news/call-for-applications-supporting-impactful-uk-arctic-science-engagement/
Application deadline: 1600 on 25 July 2025

UKRI–Defra Policy Fellowship on Oceanic Climate Risks
The UKRI–Defra Policy Fellowship on Oceanic Chronic Climate Risks is part of the Natural Hazards and Resilience scheme, offering early- and mid-career academics the chance to work closely with Defra on an issue of increasing strategic importance: understanding and preparing for chronic oceanic climate risks.  We’re particularly keen to reach researchers with expertise in marine science, climate change impacts, ecosystem tipping points, and long-term resilience.

Deadline for expressions of interest: 18 July 2025
Fellowship details: UKRI-140425-Funding-Opp-PolicyFellowships2025-DefraOceanicClimateRisksFellowship.pdf

Ministers Visit Ny-Ålesund for Firsthand Look at Arctic Climate Science
Ny-Ålesund recently played host to a high-profile visit from the Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon David Lammy, and his Norwegian counterpart, Espen Barth Eide, as part of a wider tour of the Arctic region. The visit offered a unique, informal setting for the Ministers to dive into the realities of climate change in the Arctic—and the environmental, social, and political shifts it’s driving.

The trip, hosted by the Norwegians, included a packed itinerary. The Ministers were joined by senior officials from the UK and London. Norwegian Polar Institute Director Camilla Brekke was also on hand to guide discussions and share insights.

The visit began with a briefing at the Norwegian Polar Institute Station, where conversations focused on UK-Norway scientific collaboration and future opportunities. The group then headed out on a boat trip to the Blomstrandbreen glacier where they got a close-up look at glacial retreat and were told about the wider impacts on ecosystems and global climate patterns.

Back in the village, the delegation toured the NERC Arctic Research Station, hosted by Henry Burgess, Head of the NERC Arctic Office, along with Prof Rob Mulvaney from the British Antarctic Survey, where they explored labs, looked at maps showing dramatic changes in the fjord, and got hands-on with ice-core drilling gear. They also learned about the ECR polar field skills course that has been supported by the Station in recent years, examined fjord algae and copepods under microscopes, and even encountered dried polar bear eggshell vomit—an unusual but telling sign of changing Arctic diets.

The visit concluded with a short film showcasing the Station’s wide-ranging work, followed by a lively discussion on international cooperation, the upcoming International Polar Year 2032–33, the Antarctic Treaty System, AI in science, and more.

Aligned with the visit was an exciting announcement: a new £400K Arctic Fund for 2025-2026, to be managed by the NERC Arctic Office in partnership with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, aimed at supporting Arctic science over the coming year. As part of this funding, we have the following opportunities open:

Supporting Impactful UK Arctic Science Engagement scheme: https://www.arctic.ac.uk/news/call-for-applications-supporting-impactful-uk-arctic-science-engagement/
Supporting Impactful UK Arctic Science Engagement scheme: Travel Bursaries: https://www.arctic.ac.uk/news/supporting-impactful-uk-arctic-science-engagement-scheme-travel-bursaries/

Upcoming events:
UK Arctic Science Conference, 9 – 11 September 2025, Northumbria University
Arctic Circle Assembly 2025, 16 – 18 October 2025, Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre, Reykjavik, Iceland
Svalbard Science Conference 2025, 28 – 29 October, Oslo, Norway
Greenland Science Week Conference , 12 – 13 November 2025, Nuuk, Greenland