Welcome to the November 2025 NERC Arctic Office Bulletin. If you have an event or news that you would like us to promote and share with the wider community, please let us know. We’re always glad to hear from you. If you haven’t received this Bulletin direct, you can sign up to our mailing list on the website’s home page. For all previous bulletins, please visit the Arctic Office bulletins page.
REMINDER: IASC Working Groups – new representatives needed – deadline to apply is Friday 28 November
We have six vacancies for UK-based researchers to join the IASC Working Groups and represent the UK’s Arctic science capacities, interests and priorities. This is a great opportunity to shape the activities of the Working Groups, contribute your skills and connect with international researchers.
The Working Groups will be increasingly influential in the planning for the International Polar Year 2032-33. There are places available within each of the Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social & Human (maternity cover) and Terrestrial Working Groups. Each term is for four years, with the option for an extension. Representatives will be expected to participate actively in the Working Groups, including by attending the annual meetings during the annual Arctic Science Summit Week, and link back to the wider research community in the UK.
Applications from the whole breadth of the research community are welcome. Further application details available here: https://www.arctic.ac.uk/news/call-for-united-kingdom-representatives-international-arctic-science-committee-working-groups/ and information on the Working Groups here: https://iasc.info/our-work/working-groups
Deadline for applications – to arctic@bas.ac.uk – by Friday 28 November 2025. Please contact henry.burgess@bas.ac.uk if you would like to discuss further.
NERC Arctic Research Station day 2026
The annual NERC Arctic Station Day will take place on Monday 26th January 2026, at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge and online.
The station, which is located in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, offers excellent facilities and accommodation for researchers from UK universities, research institutes, and other recognised organisations, as well as their international collaborators. It supports a wide range of environmental research, which includes ecological, glacial/periglacial geomorphology, hydrology and atmospheric chemistry and marine research.
If you currently use the NERC Station, are considering applying in the future or simply want to learn more about the Station, we strongly encourage you to join this informative event and hear from the Station team. Registration is free and you can register to attend via this link: https://forms.office.com/e/P3nnZqPpbW
Summary report from the UK Arctic Science Conference 2025
The 2025 UK Arctic Science Conference was hosted by Northumbria University from 9–11 September. The event was a great success, attracting over 100 participants from across the UK. A high-level summary report is now available on the Arctic Office website, offering an overview and reflections on the presentations, discussions, and contributions shared during the conference.
Details of the host for the next UK Arctic Science Conference, scheduled for 2027, will be announced soon – watch this space!
Greenland Science Week, 11-14 November
Over 350 researchers, knowledge holders and others attended this biennial event in Nuuk two weeks ago. Although a relatively new initiative, it has grown dramatically since its beginning and has become an important place to exchange information, knowledge and plan new collaborations in Greenland. UK-based researchers were – outside Greenland and Denmark – the largest single country contingent, reflecting the growing role that the region has for the UK. The ARIA ‘Forecasting Climate Tipping Points’ teams from across the UK and beyond were extremely well-represented, as was the NERC Arctic Office, the Government’s Science and Technology Network (STN) and many more. With thanks to funding from the FCDO and Department for Science and Technology the NERC Arctic Office was able to support eight UK-based researchers to participate in the conference – thank you to everyone who took part. A key feature of the Week is the community engagement day which saw what looked like the whole school-age population of Nuuk come to the venue to see and get involved in hands-on stands run by researchers, including the ARIA teams, fantastically supported by BAS and others. The next Greenland Science Week will be in November 2027 – definitely one for your diaries.
Upcoming events
Arctic Futures Symposium, 2-3 December, Brussels, Belgium
ArcticNet, 15 – 18 December 2025, Calgary, Canada
Arctic Frontiers, 2 – 5 February 2026, Tromsø, Norway
Arctic Circle Forum, 3-4 March 2026, Rome, Italy
Arctic Science Summit Week, 25 March – 1 April 2026