Operations and maintenance support for the CEN Network of Northern Field Stations

由8个实地站组成的北欧研究中心网络是一个独特的国家设施，从魁北克北方的詹姆斯湾地区到努纳武特的加拿大北方边界，沿沿着3 300公里的梯度延伸到整个加拿大北极地区。环境网的一个关键的分组成部分是由110个自动化气候和环境监测系统组成的SILA网络，这些系统大部分集中在实地台站附近。这些台站为加拿大和国际科学家的高纬度研究提供了关键的通道和必要的后勤支持。在过去的50年里，该网络一直由CEN建立和管理，并一直得到拉瓦尔大学的大力支持。我们的设施在2008-2011年进行了翻新和升级（投资1100万美元）。这些台站被学术界、北方组织和政府机构的广泛用户大量使用（近年来每年4245个研究日）。加环网是国家和国际网络的成员，如加拿大北方研究运营商网络、持续北极观测网络和北极陆地研究和监测国际网络。几个主要的研究计划，包括卓越中心网络ArcticNet，NSERC项目北极发展和适应过渡中的永久冻土（ADAPT），加拿大-法国北极研究计划Takuvik和OHMI-Nunavik，以及由Apogee/CFREF计划资助的Sentinel North，依赖于我们的设施，以及NSERC资助的许多研究人员的发现研究计划。CEN在北极研究中发挥着主导作用，并且在支持加拿大最佳创新北方科学方面有着悠久的历史，这可以通过出版物（自2012年以来我们的研究人员发表了超过1100篇参考出版物），高素质人才的培训，获奖和研究资助的成功来证明。自2010年以来，加环网成员已经指导了436名研究生和30名博士后研究员，其中很大一部分（72%）在加环网实地站工作或使用来自SILA网络的数据。我们的电台还为本科生和研究生举办了几个暑期学校，我们积极参与因努伊特人和第一民族社区的外联和知识转让，特别是通过我们在Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik的新社区科学中心。这里要求的国家能源研究中心的支持将为继续运作这一北方研究、培训和知识转让的主要资源提供必要的核心资金。失去进入这些设施的机会对加拿大北方研究人员来说将是灾难性的，并将使我们与国际合作伙伴组织等国际伙伴的承诺终止，从而严重损害加拿大在环极世界的地位。

The Centre d’études nordiques (CEN) Network of 8 field stations is a unique national facility that extends along a 3300-km gradient throughout the eastern Canadian Arctic, from the James Bay region in northern Québec to the northern limit of Canada in Nunavut. A key sub-component of the CEN Network is the SILA network of 110 automated climate and environmental monitoring systems that are largely clustered near the field stations. The stations provide critical access and essential logistical support for high latitude research by scientists throughout Canada and internationally. The network has been built up and managed by the CEN for the past 50 years and has always received considerable support from Université Laval. Our facilities were renovated and upgraded in 2008-2011 ($11M in investment). The stations are heavily used (4245 researcher-days per year in recent years) by a broad spectrum of users from academia, northern organisations, and government agencies. The CEN network is a member of national and international networks such as the CNNRO (Canadian Network of Northern Research Operators), SAON (Sustaining Arctic Observing Network), and INTERACT (International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic). Several major research programs including the Network of Centers of Excellence ArcticNet, the NSERC project Arctic Development and Adaptation to Permafrost in Transition (ADAPT), the Canada-France Arctic research programs Takuvik and OHMI-Nunavik, and soon Sentinel North funded by the Apogee/CFREF program, rely on our facility, as well as the NSERC-funded Discovery research programs of many researchers. The CEN plays a leading role in Arctic research and has a long history of supporting the best innovative northern science in Canada as evidenced by publications (>1100 refereed publications since 2012 by our researchers), training of highly qualified personnel, prizes awarded, and research grant success. Since 2010, CEN members have supervised 436 graduate students and 30 postdoctoral fellows and a high proportion (72%) of them worked at the CEN field stations or used data from the SILA network. Our stations also host several summer schools for undergraduate and graduate students and we are actively involved in outreach and knowledge transfer with Inuit and First Nations communities, especially through our new Community Science Centre in Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik. The NSERC support requested here will provide essential core funding for the continued operation of this major resource for northern research, training and knowledge transfer. Loss of access to the facilities would be catastrophic for Canadian northern researchers and would deeply harm Canada’s standing in the circumpolar world by putting an end to our commitments with international partners such as INTERACT.