Request for Feedback on the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee's Draft Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic

The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC), chaired by the National Science Foundation, is seeking comment from the public on newly revised Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic. Researchers working in the Arctic have a responsibility to conduct ethical research, to respect Arctic residents and cultures, and to advance stewardship of the Arctic environment. The revised document updates the Principles for the Conduct of Research in the Arctic (1990) and renames them Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic, hereafter the Principles, to reflect current research disciplines and approaches in the Arctic. The draft revised Principles have been revised to provide guidelines for the equitable conduct of research, to better align with U.S. Arctic policy, to include changes in research methodologies, and to ensure the Principles are more effective and widely applied. A U.S. IARPC Principles Revision Working Group prepared these draft revised Principles after conducting a comprehensive literature review and seeking and receiving diverse input from Alaska Natives, Federal and State and local agency representatives, and researchers by a variety of methods, including listening sessions at scientific conferences, through a Federal Register notice, and targeted interviews with Alaska residents and researchers. The Working Group seeks public comment on the draft revised Principles, which will be finalized after approval of the IARPC agencies.