Developing Science Drivers for a Proposed US High Arctic Research Center: Fairbanks, AK - October 2019

北极迅速变化的条件增加了获得自然资源和海上航线的机会。这种机会的增加不仅影响到自然环境，也影响到土著和当地居民的生活。永久冻土融化和海岸侵蚀影响基础设施、社区和生态系统。该区域幅员辽阔，加剧了由于缺乏基础设施、应急能力不足和监测不足而造成的安全和安全关切。不断变化的北极条件也给科学家和政策制定者带来了重大挑战，例如没有足够的观测和监测来建立更强大的气候模型。该项目支持在阿拉斯加州费尔班克斯举行的一次会议，以确定在阿拉斯加奥立托克点或附近建立美国北极高地研究中心(HARC)的科学驱动力。会议的预期成果包括HARC将创建的北极探险计划将回答的明确的科学问题，国家科学基金会和其他联邦机构的潜在作用，以及利益攸关方名单。这次研讨会将邀请北极专家和知识持有者为评估在北极建立另一个永久性研究设施的可能性提供科学依据。美国北极研究中心的建立将使科学家、北极社区、行业、州和联邦机构以及国际合作伙伴之间的关系和交流途径正式化。这次研讨会将邀请北极领域的科学专家阐述在美国北极建立一个永久的、全年的考察站的研究需求和科学优先事项，在那里，受限的空域、海岸通道和现有的基础设施将提高基础科学和操作的质量和成本效益。来自地球科学各学科的专家将聚集在一起，帮助确定科学驱动因素，并扩大跨学科合作，以对基础研究产生更广泛的影响，包括更好的预测、改进的建模和对环境变化及其后果的更好理解。讲习班将确定实现这一主张所必需的关键科学任务和技术活动。虽然人类与北极环境互动的增加主要是由于自然资源开采的增加和全球气候的变化，但这些活动也创造了文化、发展和社会经济的变化和机会。通过这个项目开发的一个多方面的研究、教育和推广计划的追求和建立，可能会确保阿拉斯加大学费尔班克斯大学及其HARC合作伙伴获得的知识将与北极利益相关者一起开发并转移给北极利益相关者。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Rapidly changing conditions in the Arctic have increased access to natural resources and maritime routes. Such increased access affects not only the natural environment, but also impacts the lives of Indigenous and local residents. Thawing permafrost and coastal erosion affect infrastructure, communities, and ecosystems. The enormity of the region exacerbates security and safety concerns created by lack of infrastructure, insufficient emergency response capabilities, and scarce monitoring. Evolving Arctic conditions also present significant challenges for scientists and policy makers, such as insufficient observations and monitoring to build more robust climate models. This project supports a conference in Fairbanks, Alaska, to scope the science drivers for the creation of a US High Arctic Research Center (HARC) located at or near Oliktok Point in Alaska. Intended outcomes of the conference include well-defined science questions to be answered by access to the Arctic that HARC would create, the potential role for the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies, and a list of stakeholders. This workshop will engage Arctic experts and knowledge holders to develop scientific justification for evaluating the potential establishment of another permanent research facility in the Arctic. The pursuit of a US High Arctic Research Center will formalize relationships and communication pathways among scientists, Arctic communities, industry, state and federal agencies, and international partners.This workshop will engage Arctic domain science experts to articulate the research needs and scientific priorities for a permanent, year-round research station in the US High Arctic where restricted air space, coastal access, and existing infrastructure will improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of basic science and operations. Experts from disciplines across Earth sciences will be brought together to help define the science drivers and expand interdisciplinary collaborations to create broader impacts to basic research including better forecasting, enhanced modeling, and improved understanding of environmental change and its ramifications. The workshop will identify the key science missions and technical activities that would be essential to realize this proposition. While the increase in human interaction with the Arctic environment is primarily due to the increase in natural resource exploitation and the changing global climate, these activities also create cultural, development, and socioeconomic changes and opportunities. The pursuit and establishment of a multifaceted research, education, and outreach program, as will be developed through this project, may ensure that the knowledge gained by the University of Alaska Fairbanks and its HARC partners will be developed with, and transferred, to Arctic stakeholders.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.