US-SCAR News

Three leading Antarctic organizations today announce opportunities for early-career researchers. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) are working together to attract talented early-career researchers, scientists, engineers and other professionals to strengthen international capacity and cooperation in fields such as climate, biodiversity, conservation, humanities and astrophysics research. Continue Reading

It is expected that funds will be available to support participation of U.S. scientists in the 7th biennial SCAR Open Science Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The theme is Antarctica in the Global Earth System: from the Poles to the Tropics. Funds are intended primarily to support early-career scientists , graduate students and individuals who would increase the diversity of the polar science community. Individuals at all levels (students to senior researchers) interested in engaging in international collaborative activities and, potentially, assuming active leadership roles in SCAR groups, are particularly encouraged to participate. The application deadline is March 15th, 2016. Continue Reading

The Byrd Polar & Climate Research Center is holding the following scientific meetings: (1) International Workshop on Coupled Modeling of Polar Environments, June 4-5, 2016. (2) Year of Polar Prediction – Southern Hemisphere (YOPP-SH) Planning Meeting, morning June 6, 2016. (3) The 11th Antarctic Meteorological Observation, Modeling & Forecasting Workshop, Afternoon June 6- June 8, 2016. (4) International Symposium on Atmospheric Boundary Layers in High Latitudes, June 9, 2016. Registration deadline: Friday May 6. Extended abstracts deadline: Monday May 9, 2016. Continue Reading

Dr. Paul Cutler has been appointed as Program Director for the Antarctic Integrated System Science (AISS) Program within the Antarctic Sciences Section of the Division of Polar Programs, Directorate for Geosciences at the National Science Foundation (NSF). This appointment is effective 13 December 2015. Continue Reading

We would like to announce the Call for Abstracts for the SCAR 2016 Open Science Conference to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 22-26 August 2016. This conference will focus on Antarctica in the Global Earth System: From the Poles to the Tropics and how the changes that we are currently seeing in Antarctica will affect the rest of the world. The submission of abstracts is open until 14 February. Early bird registration ends on 5 May. Continue Reading

A training school aimed at PhD students and early-career scientists on the use of the ESPAS system will be held October 19-23, 2015, at the Space Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland. Application deadline is August 31, 2015. Continue Reading

The National Academies' Polar Research Board is pleased to announce that the report "A Strategic Vision for NSF Investments in Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research" will be released on Tuesday, August 11 at 11:00 AM EDT. You are invited to join us for a webinar presentation and discussion of the report on August 11th at 1:00 PM EDT. Continue Reading

Please consider submitting an abstract to the following AGU session. Session Title. A101: Utility and quality of reanalyses in the polar regions (Session ID: 8005). Deadline is August 5, 2015. Session conveners are David Bromwich and James Renwick. Continue Reading

The Polar Research Board (PRB) and the Ocean Studies Board (OSB) are pleased to announce a new National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine workshop on ‘Antarctic Sea Ice Variability in the Southern Climate-Ocean System’. This workshop is sponsored by NASA, NSF, and ONR. It will assess current understanding of processes driving Antarctic sea ice changes--including controls on decadal-scale growth and recent surge in Antarctic sea ice extent, whether or not these changes remain within the expected range of natural climate variability, and why climate models continue to fail in simulating them. We are seeking nominations for membership on the ad hoc committee that the Academies will appoint to plan the workshop. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, August 17. Continue Reading

AGU C045 - Subglacial Access Research Drilling: results and future. Invited talked include Poul Christoffersen, Keith Makinson, Tim Naish, Jemma Wadman. Session Description: Hot water drilling including clean access technologies provides a means of observing, measuring and sampling the subglacial and sub-ice shelf environment. Shared platforms make for integrated glaciological, geological, oceanographic and biological study. Continue Reading

The National Academies' Polar Research Board is announces the call for abstracts for three AGU sessions: 1. Responding to Rapid Environmental Change at the Poles 2. SEARCH-PRB Joint Session: Global Eyes on the New Arctic: Impacts of Rapid Warming on Ecosystems, Society, and Policy 3. Future of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research. The abstract submission deadline is Wednesday, August 5, 2015. Continue Reading

Dr. Christian Fritsen has been appointed as Program Director for the Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems Program in the Antarctic Sciences Section of the Division of Polar Programs. Dr. Fritsen began serving on an intermittent basis and begins his full-time appointment as a rotator on 14 July. Continue Reading

Fall AGU Meeting, San Francisco, December 14-18, 2015: Call for Abstracts for Session Title. A101: Utility and quality of reanalyses in the polar regions (Session ID: 8005). Deadline is August 5, 2015. Conveners are David Bromwich and James Renwick. Continue Reading

Last year, SOOS (The Southern Ocean Observing System) and CliC (Climate and the Cryosphere Project) coordinated a community survey to canvas uses of remote sensing and define limitations and recommendations for improvement of Southern Ocean remote sensing. These survey responses have been brought together into a summary report, which we are now circulating again around the entire Southern Ocean community. Sections of the report include sea ice variables, atmospheric parameters, SST, SSH, SSS, terrestrial cryospheric connections, marine microbes / ocean color, marine biology, surface winds, and more. We encourage all interested members of the Southern Ocean community to review relevant sections and submit any comments edits by the end of July. Continue Reading

C045: Subglacial Access Research Drilling: results and future. Session Description: Hot water drilling including clean access technologies provides a means of observing, measuring and sampling the subglacial and sub-ice shelf environment. Shared platforms make for integrated glaciological, geological, oceanographic and biological study. Continue Reading

The National Research Council's Polar Research Board is pleased to announce a call for abstracts for three AGU sessions: 1. Responding to Rapid Environmental Change at the Poles (Conveners: Julie Brigham-Grette, Waleed Abdalati, Lauren Everett) 2. SEARCH-PRB Joint Session: Global Eyes on the New Arctic: Impacts of Rapid Warming on Ecosystems, Society, and Policy (Conveners: Jennifer Francis, Hajo Eicken, Henry Huntington, Lauren Everett) 3. Looking to the Future of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research (Conveners: Terry Wilson, Robin Bell, Chuck Kennicutt, Laurie Geller). The abstract submission deadline is Wednesday, August 5, 2015. Continue Reading

Dr. Thomas Wilch has been appointed as Program Director for Antarctic Earth Sciences (AES) as a participant in the Intergovernmental Personnel Act Program (IPA). He will be replacing Dr. Mark Kurz, who has managed the AES program since April 2013 and whose appointment ends on September 30, 2015. Continue Reading

NSF’s Division of Polar Programs is seeking an Antarctic Integrated System Science Program Director. The successful candidate will have experience with interdisciplinary science, including managing the challenges presented by such projects. The current AISS portfolio includes projects involving glaciology, geology, biology, atmospheric and ocean sciences and also management of the awards for two Antarctic Long Term Ecological Research Sites. Applications must be received by June 23, 2015. Continue Reading

There are just two weeks remaining to the deadline for applications for the 2015 SCAR and COMNAP Fellowship Schemes. SCAR and COMNAP fellowships are worth up to US$15,000 each and up to six fellowships in total are on offer for 2015. The fellowships enable early career researchers to join a project team from another country, opening up new opportunities and often creating research partnerships that last many years and over many Antarctic research seasons. The deadline for applications is 3 June 2015. Continue Reading

Ms. Susanne LaFratta has been appointed as Section Head for Polar Environment, Safety & Health. Ms. LaFratta has been with Polar Programs since January 2003, first as the Deputy for what was then known as the Polar Research Support Section and more recently as Senior Advisor. Ms. LaFratta replaces Mr. Arthur Brown who was Acting Section Head following Dr. Montopoli's departure in 2013. Continue Reading