The Belmont Forum’s upcoming Arctic 3 Collaborative Research Action (CRA) is expanding its scope to include Antarctica and is now called the Polar CRA.
The transition follows the CRA’s scoping and co-design activities, which engaged local communities and scientists to explore the socio-economic implications and consequences of polar change. Discussions highlighted the value of strengthening connections between the Arctic and Antarctic regions, as well as growing interest from Belmont Forum members and other funders in a broader Polar-focused research effort.
We are also welcoming the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) as Polar’s co-lead alongside the Research Council of Norway (RCN). Since July, both agencies have been coordinating the way forward for the implementation of the CRA.
The Polar CRA will bring together the entire community to advance collaborative research across the polar regions and strengthen understanding of shared and interconnected challenges.