APECS as an Arctic Stakeholder: Training Future Leadership of the Polar Research Community

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is an international, interdisciplinary NGO for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, early career professionals, educators, and others interested in polar regions and the wider cryosphere. The existence of APECS as a stakeholder is fundamental towards developing diverse future leadership in the Arctic community. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2017, APECS has grown from a small group established during the 2007/08 International Polar Year (IPY) to a global community of more than 2,300 actively-engaged early career researchers (ECRs) and professionals (ECPs) interested in the polar regions, from over 60 countries; within the last decade, more than 7,500 individuals joined our network during the early stages of their careers. APECS creates opportunities for innovative collaborations and information exchange amongst ECRs and established professionals, thereby helping to recruit, retain, increase cooperation amongst, and promote future polar experts. APECS works with polar organizations to enable skilled early career representatives to contribute to their goals and projects, including the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Arctic Council Working Groups ‘Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme’ (AMAP) and ‘Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna’ (CAFF). In these capacities, APECS members contribute to the scientific activities of the working groups, synthesizing research to identify and address areas of concern to Arctic ecosystems, communities, and Arctic residents. This presentation discusses how APECS contributes to training future leadership in the Arctic community and how members influence polar science and policy. We highlight how APECS updates activities to reflect scientific, policy, and environmental challenges in order to provide the most relevant resources to our members. Early engagement of ECRs and ECPs develops a workforce more adept to bridging the divide between scientific research and sustainable development in the Arctic and, therefore, is an investment in the future of the Arctic

APECS’ Online Conference, Virtual Posters and Webinars to the World

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is a multidisciplinary, international organization dedicated to maintaining a network of early career researchers (ECRs) and professionals (ECPs) to share ideas, develop collaborative research directions, provide opportunities for career development, and promote education and outreach as an integral component of Polar research. Science outreach is one of APECS’ key objectives and we have found that online media is a powerful tool for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) knowledge transfer. We introduce the use of online presentations as a platform for communication, education, and networking. APECS’ Online Conference, virtual posters, and webinar series provide case studies to examine how online technology bridges geographic and disciplinary boundaries. APECS’ Online Conference allows ECRs and ECPs to present their research to an interactive, online room of viewers. The third iteration of this annual event (March 2017) appealed to science communicators with the theme: “Outside the Box: encouraging alternative solutions for undertaking and communicating polar research”. Virtual poster sessions have allowed members to share work on an array of topics, from whaling and tourism to showcasing studies affiliated with specific national research programs. Webinars have covered a variety of skills-based and scientific topics, with invited speakers addressing everything from writing grant proposals to eco-cultural communication. Each presentation is recorded and saved on APECS’ website as a free resource. ECRs, ECPs, and APECS mentors from around the world attend our events, promoting diversity in networking and helping steer the Arctic community in positive directions. We will provide examples of connections fostered by and benefits of online events, including easier dissemination of ideas across geographically distant regions and minimal cost. While this presentation focuses on APECS’ experiences, we will highlight how innovative communication promotes international cooperation and offer suggestions on how to incorporate similar elements into other outreach programs

Where are they now? – A case study of the impact of international travel support for early career Arctic researchers

Published version, source at http://doi.org/10.1016/j.polar.2016.06.001. License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.Supporting and training the next generation of researchers is crucial to continuous knowledge and leadership in Arctic research. An increasing number of Arctic organizations have developed initiatives to provide travel support for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to participate in workshops, conferences and meetings and to network with internationally renowned scientific leaders. However, there has been little evaluation of the effectiveness of these initiatives. As a contribution to the 3rd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning, a study was conducted to analyze the career paths of ECRs who received travel funding from the International Arctic Science Committee between the start of the International Polar Year (2007–2008) and 2013. Two surveys were used: one sent to ECRs who received IASC travel support and one as a specific event study to those unsuccessfully applied for IASC travel support to the IPY 2010 Conference. The results of the surveys indicate that travel support was beneficial to both the research and careers of the respondents, especially if the ECR was engaged with a task or responsibility at the event. Survey responses also included suggestions on how funds could be better used to support the next generation of Arctic researchers

A decade of shaping the futures of polar early career researchers: A legacy of the International Polar Year

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is an important legacy of the International Polar Year (IPY). APECS continues to foster engagement in education, outreach and communication (EOC) activities relating to the polar regions and provide training for early career researchers (ECRs). We highlight opportunities for training, leadership and skills development, such as the annual Polar Weeks and Antarctica Day celebrations. Participation and engagement in EOC activities actively contributes to career development by enabling ECRs to develop valuable soft skills such as networking, communication and interdisciplinary knowledge. A pilot survey on EOC engagement highlighted that those who organise events also gain leadership skills such as team management. We discuss several factors contributing to the success of APECS in training the next generation of polar leaders. These include the geographical rather than discipline-specific focus of the organisation, utilisation of online resources, including social media, and the strong links with partner organisations. These examples demonstrate how the EOC legacy of IPY has continued due to APECS’ targeted efforts to create EOC opportunities and provide skills and leadership training for ECRs

Developing a remote region : Tourism as a tool for creating economic diversity in Nunatsiavut

La littérature scientifique a discuté durant des années du tourisme, en le considérant comme un outil de développement économique des régions périphériques. Cet article examine les succès de cet outil à partir de l’étude de cas du Nunatsiavut (Nord du Labrador). Le secteur privé de la région repose fortement sur l’industrie minière, qui est son principal pilier économique. Mais depuis 2006, le gouvernement du Nunatsiavut valorise de plus en plus d’autres secteurs, tels que le tourisme, pour diversifier l’économie et lui assurer un avenir durable. Cet article se base sur un projet de recherche sur le développement économique ascendant au Nunatsiavut, et explore les premières étapes, les défis, ainsi que les opportunités d’emploi et de revenu que crée l’industrie du tourisme. Bien qu’ils ne jouent encore qu’un rôle mineur dans l’économie locale, les efforts de l’organisme Tourism Nunatsiavut ont posé des fondations prometteuses sur lesquelles la région pourra s’appuyer à l’avenir.In the academic literature, tourism has long been discussed as a tool for the economic development of peripheral regions. This article examines the success of this tool using Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador) as a case study. Although the region’s private sector strongly relies on resource industries as its main economic pillar, the Nunatsiavut Government has since 2006 increasingly promoted other sectors, like tourism, to diversify its economy and create a more sustainable future. The article is based on a research project on bottom-up economic development in Nunatsiavut and will explore the early stages of the tourism industry, its challenges, and the employment and income opportunities it creates. Although currently only playing a minor role in the local economy, the efforts made by Tourism Nunatsiavut in this early phase have laid promising foundations that the region can build on in the future

International Polar Week as an educational activity to boost science–educational links: Portugal as a case study

International Polar Week is an educational activity that has been carried out since the International Polar Year 2007–2008 (known then as International Polar Days). This event, which brings together educators and polar scientists to promote polar science, is generally organised by the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists and Polar Educators International. Here we provide an overview of how International Polar Week started, and describe its implementation in Portugal, a “non-polar” country. We quantify the activities carried out during International Polar Weeks in Portugal between 2012 and 2017, which involved >96,000 students, >200 schools, >1900 educators and 100 polar scientists, with talks and Skype calls by polar scientists being the most frequent activities. Portugal’s International Polar Weeks have involved students, educators and polar scientists from 18 other countries, in particular from the United Kingdom and Brazil. We conclude by providing recommendations to other countries wanting to implement International Polar Weeks