Svalbard Science Forum

SSF work report42th NySMAC meeting, Toyama, April 23-24 2015

SSF work report Funding programs Management plans RiS portal

$$F Funding programs SSG Promoting research cooperation between

Norwegian and Russian researchers in Svalbard AFG

Svalbard Strategic Grant

Deadline 26th of November 15 applications 2,25 mil NOK allocated 5 workshops and 3 projects

Workshops

• Workshop on Past marine sedimentary environments in the Kongsfjorden system, Svalbard: atmosphere, ocean and glacier linkages. NPI (VU University Amsterdam)

• Workshop on: Interdisciplinary Polar Studies in Svalbard. UNIS (University of Silesia, Institute of Geophysics Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, University of Sheffield, University of Oslo)

• Plankton Research in Svalbard. UNIS (Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Science, Norwegian Polar Institute)

• Taking the next step in Svalbard snow research. NPI NPI

• Ny-Ålesund Atmosphere Research Symposium. NPI (AWI)

Projects

• Remote Controlled and Autonomous Measurement Platforms Flagship. Norut ( University of Warsaw, NTNU, UiB, NERSC, CNR, Warsaw University of Technology, UNIS, Andøya Space Center AS)

• Ocean Flagship. NERSC (Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, UNIS)

• Terrestrial radar interferometry for monitoring tidewater glaciers in Ny-Ålesund and Hornsund. Norut ( NPI, Institute of Geophysics Polish Academy of Sciences, University of Silesia)

NPI

Promoting research cooperation between Norwegian and Russian researchers in Svalbard

Deadline 26th of November 9 million NOK (max 400k/year for 3 years) Funds allocated to 10 projects

• Integration of the New Lab Facility for Chemical Analyses in Barentsburg into International Cooperation in the Arctic. NILU

• Multi-Instrument Studies of High Latitude Atmospheric Turbulence and Wave Processes. UNIS

• A renewed tectonostratigraphic framework of the Southwestern Basement Province of Svalbard. NPI

• BRANTA-DULCIS: The effect of nutrient input from migrating birds on the succession of freshwater communities of different ages in Svalbard. NINA

• Workshop on Norwegian and Russian monitoring and process studies of Svalbard coastal sea ice and snow physics. NPI

• Pollutants and carbonate system parameters in polar environment media: snow-ice-seawater-sediments-coastal discharges. NINA

• Monitoring of arctic infrastructure (MonArc). SINTEF

• Mapping bryophytes on Svalbard as the basis for monitoring and conservation. NTNU

• NORUSVA: Norwegian - Russian collaboration in Svalbard on freshwater ecology research - strengthening and planning workshop. NINA

• Isfjorden Marine Observatory Svalbard. UNIS

Projects

Arctic Field Grant AFG 2015 81 applications NOK 2.07 million to 44 projects 48 % of projects in Ny-Ålesund (NOK 1.2 mill)

Started in 1953

Arctic Field Grant evaluation

Handed out to >1500 students and researchers

16,5 mill NOK

Arctic Field Grant 2011-2015

60% success rate

47% female project leaders

Rese

arch

ers

Master

students

PhD students

39%

32%

29%

NOK 47.000 pr. application

135 peer reviewed papers

Since 2011 AFG has contributed to:

85 other publications

Since 2011 AFG has contributed to:

85 PhDs 136 master theses

Questionnaire to 263 AFG recipients:87% AFG helps the recruitment of young scientists into polar research43% AFG affected their career and educational choices32% Pursuing a career in polar science because of the AFG

Flagship Programmes2014-15: Collaboration/coordination within the Ny-Ålesund Atmospheric Flagship Program

(September Goa, October Potsdam) Towards a coordinated Research and Monitoring Programme for Ny-Ålesund (January

Tromsø)Plans for 2015: NySMAC seminar – focus on flagships in Ny-Ålesund, + Svalbard-day Atmosphere Flagship Symposium (2015, funded by SSG) Initiation of Ocean Flagship (SSG 2015) Initiation of Remote Controlled and Autonomous Platforms Flagship (SSG 2015)

Management plans

East Svalbard: Final comments from directorate of the

environment (MD) Final approval in 2015

Western Svalbard 2015 February 2015 draft of plan and Reference group

meeting Plan suggestion send to MD for review Autumn – public hearing November 1st, final plan send to MD

Western Svalbard management plan - draft

Reference areas are not mentioned in the draft The group unanimously states that there is no need for

reference areas in western Svalbard. Både høyere utdanning og forskning omfattes av

begrepet “vitenskapelige formål” It is vital that scientific research and research-based

education is recognized within the plan

Western Svalbard management plan - draft

Long term monitoring The management plan should embrace and help facilitate

monitoring programs and longterm data series Installations and samples:

All instrumentering, bortsett fra ”enkel identitetsmerking, uttak av blodprøver og oppsamling av naturlige sekreter og ekskreter dersom det ikke er grunn til å anta at forsøket vil påvirke dyrets normale livsutfoldelse eller medføre annet enn helt forbigående lett smerte eller ubehag”, krever tillatelse.

Annen prøvetakning som ikke krever tillatelse: Manuelt uttak av steinprøver ved hjelp av hammer /meisel eller plukking av steinmateriale på annet manuelt vis.

Fjerning av fossiler er ikke tillatt i henhold til § 9 i verneforskriften.

Jord-, vann- og/eller sedimentprøver som tas ut for hånd og uten bruk av maskinelle hjelpemidler.

Innsamling av insekter i forskningsøyemed.

RiS database - status

Launched May ‘14, accepted Sept. ‘14 1 year guarantee period (until 14 Sept. ‘15)

10 fix releases already: Measures to meet certain security standards Improved tools for all administrators (incl. stations and KB) Better application documents to the Governor Lists of bookings and personnel , ticket-mails - stations and Kings Bay

Developments in the next release (May-June): Metadata – up and running as before Improved search and statistics Design issues & increased map functionality Prepare for communication with others (metadatabases, maps) Information migration – collecting parts that dropped out

Issues to note: New registrations, bookings and applications every week! Better registrations of project and fieldwork periods needed! Booking in Hornsund? (needs financing)

Thank you for your attention!

www.svalbardscienceforum.no