The International Conferences on Arctic Research Planning (ICARPs) are decadal international Arctic research planning processes organised by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) in cooperation with its partners every 10 years since 1995.
ICARP IV was coordinated by IASC, which engaged its partners in Arctic research to enable a community-wide undertaking. IASC recognised the need to include community-wide perspectives, both from the frameworks identified in ICARP III and the acknowledgement over the past decade in Arctic sciences that recognising and working with local, traditional, and Indigenous Knowledges in all aspects of projects leads to better research (i.e., more ethical and stronger outcomes). The ICARP IV process used a bottom-up approach to engage Arctic researchers, rights holders, policy-makers, residents and stakeholders from around the world. Participants were tasked with identifying the most urgent knowledge gaps and research priorities for the next decade, and to recommend approaches to address these needs.
The ICARP IV International Steering Committee included representatives of the partners engaged in the ICARP IV process, oversaw the implementation of the ICARP IV process, and provided intellectual and organisational support for the undertaking.
The ICARP IV process took place over five phases from (2022 - 2026):
Phase 1 - Preparing for ICARP IV (2022):
Preparation for the ICARP IV process started in 2022 with the forming of the ICARP IV International Steering Committee, composed of the 26 ICARP IV partner organisations. An International Coordination Office for the process was provided by the IASC Secretariat in Akureyri, Iceland.
Phase 2 - Seeking Community Input (2023 - 2024):
Phase 2 focused on community engagement activities that encouraged anyone within the Arctic research community to contribute to and inform the ICARP IV process. Individuals of all career stages, groups, networks, institutions, and research organisations were encouraged to contribute to the ICARP IV engagement process by participating in or organising an ICARP IV engagement event, seeking endorsement for activities and projects contributing to the process, participating in the ICARP IV survey, and submitting relevant resources and documents from projects that could help inform the ICARP IV process. While not all activities were reported back to the ICARP IV organisers, a list of the reported engagement activities and endorsed projects outcomes is available on the ICARP IV website:
Once Research Priority Teams (RPTs) were established, additional outreach to Arctic community organisations, Indigenous Peoples organisations, schools, universities, and education networks in the Arctic resulted in more engagement from residents of the Arctic in the latter part of the ICARP IV process.
Phase 3 - Defining Research Priorities (2024)
At the start of Phase 3 in early 2024, seven ICARP IV Research Priority Teams (RPTs) were created by the International Steering Committee, grounded in the outcomes of the ICARP III process from 2015 (RPTs 1–3) but with some additional relevant topics that needed to be addressed separately (RPTs 4-7).
- RPT 1: The Role of the Arctic in the Global Earth System
- RPT 2: Observing, Reconstructing, and Predicting Future Climate Dynamics and Ecosystem Responses
- RPT 3: Understanding the Dynamics and Resilience of Arctic Social-ecological Systems to Foster Sustainable Futures
- RPT 4: Arctic Research Cooperation and Diplomacy
- RPT 5: Co-Production and Indigenous-led Arctic Research
- RPT 6: Education and Knowledge-Sharing In and About the Arctic: Research and Practice
- RPT 7: Technology, Infrastructure, Logistics, and Services
After an open nominations process advertised via all ICARP IV partner organisations in the second half of 2023, more than 200 individuals from 28 countries were selected by the International Steering Committee to join the teams.
The RPTs were tasked to review and analyse community input, define the needs and priorities for Arctic research for their topic area based on the input collected, and develop recommendations for the implementation of the identified priorities,including potential new alliances and collaborative partnerships needed to address them.
The RPTs started their work with a series of open workshops organised by each team during the Arctic Science Summit Week 2024 (21–29 March 2024, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK) and then worked throughout 2024 and 2025 to finalise their results. An ICARP IV Planning Retreat organised for the chairs of the RPTs and members of the ICARP IV International Steering Committee from 21–24 October 2024 in Akureyri, Iceland, offered a unique and invaluable platform for face-to-face discussions, fostering cross-disciplinary dialogues aimed at preventing duplication of effort and aligning research outcomes across diverse priorities.
Including Indigenous Perspectives
Most of the RPTs had an Indigenous scholar as co-chair. In addition, an Indigenous Co-Chair was added to the ICARP IV International Steering Committee at the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) 2024. An ICARP IV Indigenous Peoples’ Coordination Group was also set up in early 2024 as an informal body composed of Arctic Indigenous scholars engaged in the ICARP IV RPTs and the ICARP IV International Steering Committee to assist in and ensure coordination of the efforts to Indigenise Arctic research.
Phase 4 - Consulting on Priorities (2025) - The ICARP IV Summit
In Phase 4, the ICARP IV Summit with the theme “Arctic Research Planning for the Next Decade” was held during the Arctic Science Summit Week 2025 in Boulder, Colorado, USA, from 21–28 March 2025. The Summit marked the culminating in‑person gathering of the ICARP IV process and served as both a point of synthesis and consultation on the work of the seven RPTs and a bridge toward shaping the Fifth International Polar Year (IPY‑5) planned for 2032–33. Each RPT held open Town Hall Meetings to present and consult on their preliminary findings.
Phase 5 - Initiating Implementation (2026)
The final results of the ICARP IV process are summarised in a series of reports identifying priorities, knowledge gaps, and pathways for Arctic research over the coming decade:
- A detailed report from each of the seven RPTs, which will be available on the ICARP IV website.
- A final synthesis report summarising the results of all RPTs.
- Shorter summaries for policy-makers and funders.
The final results will be presented at the Arctic Science Summit Week 2026 from 25 March–1 April 2026 in Aarhus, Denmark. The ICARP results will directly inform the priorities of the next IASC Strategic Plan 2027–2036. There will be ICARP implementation workshops at the next ASSW meetings, leading up to the IASC-SCAR Conference in Korea in 2030. ICARP will contribute directly to the Arctic research planning and projects for the 5th International Polar Year in 2032–33.
Access the ICARP IV Final Reports