General Information
The NSF and Battelle ARO are committed to fostering meaningful engagement between NSF-funded scientists and the Arctic communities that researchers work in and near. The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee's (IARPC) Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic directs scientists to be accountable to Arctic communities, to establish communication, to respect traditional knowledge, to build and sustain relationships, and to pursue responsible stewardship in the Arctic.
Battelle ARO recognizes that each research project requires specific outreach and engagement (O&E) solutions tailored to the needs of the project and the communities in which they hope to interact; and that the capacity to carry out O&E initiatives can vary from project to project, requiring different levels of support from the Battelle ARO.
Note about the Co-production of Knowledge (CPK) and Battelle ARO Outreach and Engagement Initiatives: Proper co-production of knowledge between Arctic scientists and Arctic residents begins at the very earliest of project phases: during the formation of research questions. Battelle ARO O&E initiatives are meant to offer scientists tools and resources to foster positive relations with Indigenous and local communities in the Arctic and to support co-production of knowledge and other O&E efforts within projects.
Impacts of COVID-19 on Engagement between Arctic Researchers and Arctic Communities
The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted all aspects of Arctic research. Battelle ARO continually tracks the status of shifting local, state, and federal health and safety travel mandates. Battelle ARO is dedicated to remaining responsive to concerns and recommendations of locals in Arctic communities they plan to visit for their research.
During 2021, Battelle ARO will focus on providing O&E tools and resources to allow for successful engagement between Arctic researchers and Arctic residents without requiring in-person interactions. Does this mean more Zoom calls? In the hopeful case that health and safety measures allow for face-to-face meetings in Arctic communities in the future, the Battelle ARO O&E Team will remain ready to utilize traditional and proven forms of outreach, such as community meetings, classroom visits, and other in-person engagement.
Photo by: Kaare Erickson
My Outreach & Engagement Project
Coordinating O&E Efforts Among Projects in the Four-Step Process
To reduce community engagement fatigue and to harmonize outreach and engagement efforts, the O&E Team will work to coordinate region-specific integrated O&E initiatives. During O&E planning and execution phases (steps two & three), the Battelle ARO O&E Team will work with researchers to bring coordination and collaboration to research projects in their efforts to engage communities. During the reporting process, the O&E Team will capture the individual contributions of specific projects to the integrated region-wide O&E initiatives.
International Outreach and Engagement
Sharing Ideas, Time, and Space
Community meetings are the oldest form of outreach utilized by Arctic researchers to engage with local Arctic residents. Nearly 100 years ago, while travelling through Utqiaġvik in 1924 during his famous scientific expedition across the Arctic, Greenlandic scientist and explorer Knud Rasmussen recalled being “invited to give a lecture at the local school house” to engage with community members. To this day, meeting with local community members in the Arctic remains as one of the most effective forms of engagement between Arctic scientists and Arctic residents.
Alaska Outreach and Engagement
Sharing Ideas, Time, and Space
Community meetings are the oldest form of outreach utilized by Arctic researchers to engage with local Arctic residents. Nearly 100 years ago, while travelling through Utqiaġvik in 1924 during his famous scientific expedition across the Arctic, Greenlandic scientist and explorer Knud Rasmussen recalled being “invited to give a lecture at the local school house” to engage with community members. To this day, meeting with local community members in the Arctic remains as one of the most effective forms of engagement between Arctic scientists and Arctic residents.
