U.S. Arctic Research Commission

Commissioner Michele Longo Eder

Consortium for Ocean LeadershipPublic Policy ForumMarch 10, 2010

Arctic Research and Policy Act (ARPA)

• Provides a Federal program for basic & applied Arctic sci. research

• Establishes US Arctic Research Commission (USARC) 

– promote Arctic research

– recommend Arctic research policy

• Designates NSF to lead implementation of Arctic research policy

– established Interagency Arctic Research Policy Comm. (IARPC) 

– develop national Arctic research policy 

– develop 5‐year plan to implement that policy

Arctic Research and Policy Act (ARPA)

• Federal agencies create annual budget requests specifically calling out “Arctic research” activities

• OSTP reviews Arctic budget requests & consults IARPC &USARC

• OMB reviews Arctic budget requests (conducts “cross cut”) 

– considers budgets as an integrated and multiagency request 

– ascertains that request adheres to the 5‐year plan 

– submits request as part of President’s annual budget

• USARC reviews budget adherence to plan &reports to Congress

USARC: establishes research goals & sets research policy

IARPC: adopts goals, creates research plan

White House: OMB/OSTP

Congress: Authorizers & Appropriators

USARC comments on budget to Congress

US Arctic Research…

…~$400M/yr across >15 federal agencies

…cooperating with over a dozen nations

…using research infrastructure worth billions

Trillion Dollar Issues

•• Arctic ownership, sovereignty Arctic ownership, sovereignty •• Arctic resources Arctic resources (fish, O&G, minerals)(fish, O&G, minerals)

•• Global Global Trade (transTrade (trans--arctic & destinational shipping)arctic & destinational shipping)

•• Climate change mitigation/adaptationClimate change mitigation/adaptation•• Protecting shared values Protecting shared values –– culture & conservationculture & conservation

Goals Report Research Themes 

• Environmental Change of the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea

• Arctic Human Health

• Civil Infrastructure Research

• Natural Resource Assessment & Earth Science

• Indigenous Languages, Identities & Cultures

New US Arctic Policy (NSPD‐66/HSPD‐25)

• National security/homeland security needs

• Protect environment/conserve biological resources

• Environmentally sustainable resource management and development

• Strengthen institutions for international cooperation; ratify Law of the Sea

• Involve indigenous communities in decisions

• Enhance scientific monitoring and research into local, regional and global environmental issues

USARC Sponsorships

Meetings, Workshops, Symposia…• Alaska Marine Science Symposium • American Geophysical Union Cryosphere Reception• Arctic Civil Infrastructure Workshop• Arctic Energy Summit• Arctic Science Summit Week • Behavioral and Mental Health Research in the Arctic • ICETECH • Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations• International Arctic Fisheries Symposium • International Conference on Permafrost • National Ocean Science Bowl• NRDA in Arctic Waters: The Dialogue Begins Workshop• Oil Spill Prevention and Response Workshop• Rural Alaska Native Science Workshop• State of the Arctic Conference• Trade is Transportation Seminar

An Ocean Infrastructure Strategy for U.S. Ocean Research in 2030 Report, NRC

Challenges and Opportunities

• Keeping the interagency (IARPC) effort engaged and  effective. 

• Work with NSF, OMB and OSTP to enable better process, as called for in ARPA, for developing national Arctic research program and associated budget. 

USARC/USCG Arctic Domain Awareness Flight September 15, 2009