ArcticNet plans to use largest funding award in NCE history to advance research agenda

ArcticNet has received $67.3 million to implement a second seven-year phase of operations as one of the most successful of the classic Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE). The funding for 2011-2018 represents a 47% increase over ArcticNet's first seven years as an NCE, allowing it to launch 12 new research projects focused on Inuit health, education and culture and two new research chairs while renewing 22 existing projects.

The decision to extend ArcticNet's funding another seven years — at the highest level in the NCE program's history — was made more than one year ago but the official announcement didn't follow until this month. The delay was attributed to the federal election and ministerial availability.

Phase II will see ArcticNet align itself with the government's Northern Strategy and seek to provide input into the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) which is beginning a three-year design phase (see page 7). Perhaps more importantly, the NCE is exploring its eventual consolidation with a proposed National Polar Research Platform that could be funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

The network also plans to replicate the high five-fold leverage of external cash and in-kind resources achieved in the latter part of Phase I, which would give ArcticNet the equivalent of a seven-year budget of more than $400 million. The network has already received commitments of more than $75 million for Phase II.

By 2018, the number of university-based Arctic researchers will have doubled from the number prior to the network's formation.

"We deserve it. We delivered the goods," says Dr Louis Fortier, scientific director of ArcticNet based at Laval Univ in Quebec City. "We delivered a lot and received a lot of collateral funding. In the last two years of cycle one, we received $5 for every $1 from the NCE program. We took the Robin Hood approach of generating revenues and investing it in research projects like health."

Inspired by the influential 2000 NSERC-SSHRC task force report on the state of northern research, ArcticNet takes credit for helping to push arctic issues onto the political agenda and stimulating the formulation of the government's Northern Strategy.

At a September 15th press conference announcing the funding renewal, Fortier said to Industry minister Christian Paradis that ArcticNet was ready to further influence and contribute to the research elements of the government's Northern Strategy.

"We have ideas for you and your government," said Fortier.

Phase II funding supports an ambitious multi-faceted research agenda that includes:

* providing input into the science base of the Northern Strategy. Phase II will use the strategy as its strategic roadmap, with each project focused on some aspect of its four pillars — sovereignty, economic and social development, environmental protection and governance;

* launching 12 new research projects focused on Inuit education, health and culture;

* publishing four regional impact assessments integrating ArcticNet science for stakeholders and policy makers;

* adapting new observation platforms and environmental technologies to arctic conditions;

* fully implementing two Canada Excellence Research Chairs devoted to arctic research at Laval Univ (remote sensing of Canada's new arctic frontier) and Univ of Manitoba (arctic geomicrobiology and climate change);

* further consolidate ArcticNet's international network;

* expand major research partnerships with the oil and gas industry in the Beaufort Sea into other regions of the Arctic;

* issue a call for proposals in 2013 for research into the adaptation of technologies to northern conditions;

* Develop a state-of-the-art geo-referenced data retrieval system in collaboration with sister NCE, GEOIDE; and,

* implement the second iteration of the Inuit Longitudinal Health Cohort in 2012.

"We will contribute to the science of the Northern Strategy. We find that if you get together to address the big issues of the Arctic, it's possible to get funded. That's the way to go," says Fortier. "You look at what government is looking for and make a proposal to help with their objectives."

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