Co-Designing an International Polar Year Arctic Access Programme
INTERACT invites the Arctic research community to register their interest in taking part in the workshop “Co-Designing an IPY Arctic Access Programme”, to be held on 9 October 2026 during the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik, Iceland.
INTERACT is developing an International Polar Year Arctic Access Programme (IPY-AAP) to facilitate access to Arctic research infrastructures and their data for research addressing key scientific priorities and societal challenges in the Arctic. The ambition is to develop a truly international and collaborative programme that supports the priorities of the International Polar Year (IPY) and ICARP IV, building on INTERACT’s extensive experience in coordinating international access to Arctic research infrastructures.
Image Credits: Morten Rasch, Arctic Station, Greenland.
Co-designing the Programme
A successful IPY Arctic Access Programme needs to reflect the priorities and perspectives of the wider Arctic research community. INTERACT is therefore bringing together Arctic stakeholders and rightholders to help shape the programme, including representatives from science organisations, Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, early-career researchers, research infrastructure operators, funding organisations and policymakers.
Through presentations and breakout discussions, workshop participants will contribute to key elements of the programme’s design, including:
research priorities and alignment with IPY and ICARP IV;
eligibility and evaluation criteria;
research ethics, impact and quality assessment;
programme coordination and governance;
Indigenous Peoples and early-career researcher engagement; and
public and private funding structures.
The outcomes of the workshop will feed directly into the further development of the IPY-AAP, including a concept paper describing the programme and materials for engagement with potential funding organisations.
Register your interest
Date: 9 October 2026
Time: 11:00–15:45
Location: Room Akrafjall, Harpa Conference Centre, Reykjavik, Iceland (registration to Arctic Circle Assembly 2026 required)
Interested in contributing to the co-design process?
Register your interest here: https://tally.so/r/yP8RLd
Please note that submitting the form is an expression of interest and does not constitute confirmation of participation. To ensure a balanced workshop representing the different stakeholder and rightholder groups involved in the development of the programme, expressions of interest will be reviewed and selected participants will receive a separate confirmation.
The development of the IPY Arctic Access Programme and the co-design workshop have received funding through the Call for IASC Cross-Cutting and Working Group Proposals 2026.
