U.S. Arctic Research Commission
2009
Commissioner Michele Longo EderJanuary 23, 2009
Mead Treadwell, Chair Michele Longo Eder
Charles Vörösmarty
Helvi Sandvik
Virgil (Buck) Sharpton Warren ZapolVera Kingeekuk Metcalf
What is the USARC?
• Independent US federal government agency that advises
• Established by the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984, as amended
• 7 presidentially appointed commissioners, and 4 staff in DC & Anchorage offices
• By law, works directly with both Congressional and Executive branches
• Develops and recommends an integrated national Arctic research policy
• Helps establish a national Arctic research program plan to implement the policy
• Facilitates cooperation among federal, state and local governments, and othernations with respect to Arctic research, both basic and applied
US Arctic Research
~$400M/yr across >15 federal agencies
…cooperating with over a dozen nations
…using research infrastructure worth billions
[USARC’s budget is ~$1.5M]
Recent USARC activities…
• Ongoing promotion of 5 Goals (climate/environmental change, civil infrastructure, indigenous languages, cultures and identities, Arctic health, resource assessment)
• Helped initiate & participated in newly released Arctic Policy
• USARC Chair testified twice in ‘08 to Congress in support of new US icebreakers
• Co-sponsor many Arctic research meetings (AMSS, “Impact of an ice-diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations,” Center for Ocean and Law Policy, etc.)
• Brigham leading Arctic Council endorsed “Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment”
• Promoting ARRV, IOOS, BARC, etc., and work with Alaskan delegation & gov.
• Participating in many interagency groups (JSOST, Extended Cont. Shelf, etc.)
• Helping to reinvigorate SCICEX SAC, leading Scaling Workshop (Vorosmarty).
Planned or possible future activities
• Finish and release 2009-2010 Goals report• Hire a Senior Policy Analyst who will be detailed from
USARC to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
• Hire new Deputy Director/Alaska Office Director for USARC’s Anchorage Office
• Begin working with new Administration officials to promote and advance Arctic research.
• New workshops on health, civil infrastructure, etc.
Goals report research themes
• Ocean Environmental Change• Arctic Human Health• Civil Infrastructure• Natural Resource Assessment & Earth Science• Indigenous Languages, Identities, Cultures
Challenges and Opportunities
• Keeping the interagency (IARPC) effort engaged and effective. Detailee will help in this regard…
• Work with NSF, OMB and OSTP to enable better process, as called for in ARPA, for developing national Arctic research program and associated budget. Again, Detailee will help.
ScienceOctober 24, 2008
Polar Researchis in theBig 10
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