Fulbright Arctic Initiative

Application Deadline – February 2, 2015

President Obama and Secretary Kerry have both affirmed that a secure and well-managed Arctic marked by international cooperation is a key priority of the United States, and in April 2015, the United States will assume the chairmanship of the Arctic Council for two years. Building on the strong existing network of Arctic Studies scholars and policy experts in the Fulbright Program, ECA is launching an interdisciplinary collaborative research initiative focused on the Arctic.

The Fulbright Arctic Initiative will identify both established experts and early career specialists from the eight Arctic Council countries (United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden) to carry out collaborative, interdisciplinary research to assess the impact of change in the Artic. Areas of research focus include water, energy, health, and infrastructure. The Fulbright Arctic Initiative will create a network to stimulate international scientific collaboration on Arctic issues while increasing mutual understanding between people of the United States and the people of other countries. Program participants will address public-policy research questions relevant to Arctic nations’ shared challenges.

Sixteen outstanding scholars from the U.S. and abroad will be selected to participate in the program as Fulbright Arctic Initiative Scholars through an open, merit-based competition. At least four of the scholars will be selected from the United States and at least one scholar will be selected from each of the other Arctic Council member states. Program activities start in spring 2015 and conclude in fall of 2016.

Selected scholars will participate in an individual Fulbright exchange of six to 12 weeks. For the individual exchange, U.S. grantees will travel to one of the seven other Arctic Council member countries, and international grantees will travel to the United States. Scholars will work together in multidisciplinary and multinational research teams.

The Fulbright Arctic Initiative will provide a platform for scholars from across the Arctic region to engage in collaborative thinking, analysis, problem-solving and multi-disciplinary research in one of four areas:

• Energy: How will oil, gas, and other natural resources be developed in the Arctic? What can be done to promote clean renewable energy, reduce pollutants, guarantee the inclusion and rights of indigenous people, and protect the environment?

• Water: How can we understand, mitigate, and adapt to the dramatic changes occurring and projected for the Arctic Ocean environment and fresh water regimes, such as changes to fisheries, occurrence of oil spills, emergence of invasive species, and shifts in the food supply for local communities?

• Health: What specific issues do coastal communities face, such as erosion and storm surge, subsistence activities and food supply, availability of medical care, transportation, telecommunications, protection and continuity of their identities as indigenous peoples? What opportunities and vulnerabilities can be addressed for the sustainability of affected communities?

• Infrastructure: How can we rethink ports, pipelines, freshwater storage and treatment, and other infrastructure and security issues? What measures and policies should be developed to promote multi-national cooperation on search and rescue, emergency environmental response, and safe shipping?

An initial in-person meeting and program orientation will be held in Canada for all scholars. This will provide the opportunity to launch the collaboration and establish guidelines and goals before the scholars participate in their individual exchanges.

Under the guidance of the Lead Scholars, research teams will collaborate virtually, utilizing an online platform throughout the program period. The full group will gather to share progress and initial outcomes at a mid-term meeting to be held in Finland.

At the end of the program, Arctic Initiative Scholars will convene for the third and final meeting to share the results of their collaborative work and report on the accomplishment of program objectives and the national and regional implications of their findings. Scholars will disseminate policy-relevant recommendations, describe the concrete steps they have taken in implementing their projects and models at the local, national and/or regional level, and share the progress they have made and challenges they have faced in moving their recommendations from theory to practice.

Eligibility: The deadline for applicants to submit applications to the Fulbright Commission/Office is February 2, 2015. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English. A Ph.D. or equivalent professional/terminal degree is preferred. Preference will be given to early or mid-career academics, applied researchers and/or professionals with research experience in the public, non-profit, or private sectors. Applicants should have particular expertise and research experience in one of the identified research areas.

Applicants must be citizens of the country from which they are applying and residing in the country at the time of application. Non-U.S. applicants who have dual-U.S. citizenship or who hold permanent residency "green cards," whether or not they reside in the United States, are not eligible. Non-U.S. individuals who are selected for a Fulbright grant will be required to submit a copy of their passport data page to Fulbright Commissions and Public Affairs Sections. Non-U.S. Fulbright Scholars enter the United States on an Exchange Visitor (J-1) visa under a U.S. Department of State program and are subject to the two-year home-country residency requirement associated with the J-1 visa.

Note: Scholars who have held J visas with sponsorship of more than six months are not eligible to reenter as J-1 Researchers or Lecturers for 12 months following the program sponsorship end date. In addition, scholars who have previously held a J visa in the Professor or Research Scholar category are not eligible for sponsorship again in those two categories for a period of 24 months following the program sponsorship end date.

More information: fulbright.ru