Welcome to the September 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.
Arctic Science Summit Week 2026 – last chance for community meetings and workshops
This major Arctic meeting in Aarhus, Denmark (25 March-1 April) is a great opportunity to host international gatherings and events. All meeting spaces can be hybrid. The deadline for proposing community meetings and workshops is 30 September.
Details: https://assw.info/program/assw-2026-community-meetings-and-workshops. Registration and other meeting details expected with the first draft of the programme in November.
IASC Fellowships 2026 – applications now open
The International Arctic Science Committee is offering eight Fellowships for early career researchers. The Fellowships support travel to two Arctic Science Summit Weeks and there are opportunities to get involved in the IASC Working Groups and other initiatives. UK-based researchers have been successful with this scheme in the past. Please do consider putting yourself forward. The IASC Fellowship Coordinator Armina Soleymani will hold an IASC Fellowships 2026 Information Session for those interested in applying to the Fellowships on 26 September 2026 from 16:00 – 17:00 GMT. Registration link.
The application deadline is on 20 October 2025 at 18:00 GMT. Further details and application form can be found here: https://iasc.info/capacity-building/fellowship-program/fellowship-applications
Arctic Circle Assembly 2025 – 16-18 October, Reykjavik
The UK-based Arctic science community will be well represented at the coming Assembly meeting, with plenary sessions, breakout events, an exhibition stand and much more. We’re pleased that with the generous support of the FCDO we’ve been able to support six researchers to attend and contribute to the events. Thank you to everyone who is taking part in the Assembly. Please do let the Arctic Office (arctic@bas.ac.uk) know if you’re going to be there – or drop by the stand – we’d love to meet you!
Arctic Frontiers – 2-5 February 2026, Tromsø
Would you like to participate in the Arctic Frontiers conference? This is a great opportunity to meet a broad range of researchers, policy makers and business leaders. There will be strong representation from UK-based participants. We have some limited funding for early career researchers to attend. Please see the Arctic Office website for further details. Deadline for applications: 31 October 2025.
IASC Working Groups – new representatives needed
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 28 November 2025. Please contact henry.burgess@bas.ac.uk if you would like to discuss further.
Ocean Connectivity Conference 26 – 29 May 2026 – call for session proposals
The Arctic Council Secretariat is calling for session proposals for the Chairship’s “Ocean Connectivity Conference.” The event, organized by the Kingdom of Denmark Chairship together with UArctic and the University of the Faroe Islands, will take place during the 5th UArctic Congress in Tórshavn, 26–29 May 2026.
Please send a short session proposal – title and abstract (max 250 words) – to acs@arctic-council.org by COB 30 September 2025. Proposals should align with the Chairship’s Oceans commitment, focusing on:
- Sub-Arctic and High Arctic connectivity, emphasizing implications for biodiversity and migrating species, climate change impacts, pollutant transport, and the movement of species to the High Arctic (invasive and otherwise) between regions.
- The importance of sustainable management practices for the Arctic marine environment, reinforcing the importance of responsible Arctic marine monitoring and governance.
The aim of the Chairship Ocean Connectivity Conference is to share knowledge and connect research findings with Indigenous Knowledge to establish best practices.
Upcoming events
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, 7 – 14 November 2025, Nuuk, Greenland
ArcticNet, 15 – 18 December 2025, Calgary, Canada
Arctic Frontiers, 2 – 5 February 2026, Tromsø, Norway