iC3 polar research centre launches simultaneously in the Arctic and the Antarctic

A new polar research centre dedicated to tackling the biggest questions in polar science launched simultaneously in the Arctic and the Antarctic last week.

With ten years of funding and over 50 scientists collaborating across disciplines including glaciology, biogeochemistry, oceanography and marine ecology, the iC3 centre will conduct research in mainland Norway, Svalbard, Greenland, and Antarctica in order to provide essential data and models to underpin future assessments of greenhouse warming (IPCC) and biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBES).

“Our mission is to fill major gaps in our understanding of how rapid changes in the earth’s ice sheets will affect the global carbon cycle and ocean ecosystems,” said centre director Professor Jemma Wadham, speaking from iC3’s headquarters in Tromsø, the capital of Arctic Norway. “We are bringing together experts at UiT the Arctic University of Norway, the Norwegian Polar Institute, NORCE and a large network of international collaborators to create a new world-leading hub of polar science expertise here in the Norwegian Arctic.”

Speaking from Norway’s Troll research station in Antarctica, the centre’s assistant director, Associate Professor Monica Winsborrow, said: “This is an exciting day for polar science. Our ten-year time horizon, access to excellent facilities at both poles and interdisciplinary approach gives us the opportunity to think big, and at the same time to train and support an entire generation of young researchers.”

The iC3 centre is now accepting enquiries from potential applicants for Marie Curie postdoctoral fellowships. Selected applicants will be linked up with the university’s Arctic MSCA Support Programme in Tromsø, which has a track record of doubling applicants’ success rates from 14% to 28%.

“As a postdoc at UiT there is access to one of the greatest polar research networks globally. The infrastructure that is well established here has enabled wider research opportunities, collaborations and access to facilities. As an early career scientist, this has been a fantastic move for my academic career following my PhD,” said current iC3 affiliated postdoctoral researcher Dr Sarah Tingey.

For more information about iC3’s research agenda, please check out our website and watch this video.