Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences VI in Nuuk, 2007-2008.  (ICASS VI)

Outline
ICASS VI will be held in Nuuk, Greenland in the International Polar Year 2007-2008, at the earliest at end of the first calendar year of operations for the IPY. To the international arctic social sciences community, ICASS VI will act as its major forum to review its contribution to the overall IPY effort; to discuss the status of the ongoing social programs under IPY 2007-2008; and to make plans for further actions The working title for ICASS VI is “Circumpolar Social Changes: Opportunities and Challenges to the Social Sciences of the IPY 2007-2008.” Based upon the attendance at previous ICASS ventures (a triennial event), ICASS VI will bring together many hundred social scientists from every field of social and human research, advanced students from over 20 countries, as well as indigenous and non-indigenous stakeholders.. We expect the attendance to be boosted by the presence of our project partners from physical and natural science disciplines, to make ICASS VI a fully interdisciplinary venture - much like the IPY 2007-2008 itself. The main goal of ICASS VI is to offer various venues for IPY scholars, other northern researchers, and local participants to analyze the progress of IPY 2007-2008 in social and human fields. This includes special project sessions, discussion panels, plenary presentations, invited talks by the leading IPY scientists and representatives of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, public meetings. Sessions and panels at the ICASS VI will be framed along major IPY research fields and initiatives, with the broad international and interdisciplinary participation. For many international network projects, ICASS sessions will offer the only chance for face-to-face discussions, as participants from many countries and regions may have limited contacts in the field and across the boundaries. Special efforts will be made to ensure presence of as many project collaborators from arctic communities, as possible. Having ICASS VI held in Nuuk, the capital of the only indigenous self-governing Arctic country, will give an unprecedented voice to polar residents and indigenous peoples. Timing and location for this major scholarly meeting to review the progress of IPY 2007-2008 cannot be better selected. ICASS sessions will be open to representatives of northern governmental agencies, indigenous institutions, media people, and interested public to ensure broader input from northern practitioners and local communities. We envision ICASS VI also as a critical milestone to the IPY 2007-2008 outreach, public, and educational agendas, because of so many young Greenlandic students and educational institutions in town. The presence of social scientists from many countries, presentations on many projects across the circumpolar world will inspire the young generation of Greenlandic educators and leaders, and will give tremendous local publicity to polar research.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
All IPY themes with human dimensions will be discussed, and the “significant advances” to be expected reside in the synergies created by the possibility to meet, network, and discuss not only within IPY projects, but also across them. The format of the conference will be designed in order to foster such dialogues, with panels, workshops, and plenaries geared towards facilitating the IPY-related research.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
IASSA consists of members from 30 different countries. The council of IASSA (members from 5 Arctic countries) constitutes the research board responsible for the ICASS VI. ICASS participants, including keynote speakers, session-chairpersons, and presenters of papers and poster sessions, will represent a broad variety of research disciplines, research themes, peoples and nationalities. There will be sessions and workshops devoted to the discussion of ongoing international IPY projects.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The ICASS VI will take place in Nuuk. Field work may be undertaken by participants in ICASS VI, but no field work will be arranged directly related to the conference.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
No physical infrastructure.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
According to the policy of the Danish National IPY Committee, individual project endorsements are not issued, but the attached letter is written to be attached and referred to as a fulfilment under this section.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
yes
One of the main objectives of the International Association of Arctic Social Sciences, IASSA, is to promote and stimulate international cooperation and to increase the participation of social scientists in national and international arctic research. The council is responsible for organizing the International Congress of Artic Social Sciences, ICASS, on behalf of IASSA.

How will the project be organised and managed?
IASSA council forms a research board that will be over all responsible for the ICASS VI. An organising committee headed by the IASSA vice-president will be established in Nuuk with members from Ilisimatusarfik, University of Greenland and other Greenland research institutions as well as from the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, ICC.A secretary will be hired in the beginning of 2005 to support the organising committee and (later in the preparatory process a Secretariat will be established to run IASSA VI.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Students at different levels (masters- and PhD-students) as well as Post Docs generally attend the ICASS-events. Capacity building and inclusion of new scholars to Arctic Social Science will be important components to the ICASS VI too. Special initiatives will be taken to involve local students and to make the ICASS VI instrumental in communicating research questions and findings to a broader public. Special sessions on this topic will be suggested.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
Data collection, data dissemination, data sharing and other aspects of data management will be in focus in special sessions, and will also be included in presentations in different research fields.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
So far the Greenland Home Rule Government (Dept of Culture, Education and Research) has granted DKK 300.000. All participants pay a conference fee. Supplementary funding will be applied for at national (public as well as private) and international research funding institutions.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
Nuuk has its special connection to the IPY history, since it was among 13 original observation stations operating during the First IPY of 1882-1883. Several sessions at ICASS may be held in Nuuk’s historic buildings and be dedicated to the preservation of IPY legacy, including old polar stations, their documentation, and various collections. This will strengthen the link between IPY 2007-2008, earlier polar science ventures, general public, and polar communities.IASSA has developed an IPY Facilitation Initiative: a web site for researchers within the social sciences and interested researchers from other fields to present projects and project ideas and hence facilitating a debate among interested research colleagues and to exchange ideas, develop and mature research projects within the over all IPY framework.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Project Chief Birger Poppel
Ilisimatusarfik, University of Greenland
P.O. Box 278
3900
Greenland

Tel: * 299 32 45 22 ext. 157
Mobile: * 299 55 62 66
Fax: * 299 32 47 11
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information