Priority Subject 1: Capacity Building and Research Promotion
The capacity building of early career researchers who will play a key role in future Arctic research projects and resolving a range of Arctic-related issues is an urgent challenge in Japan’s Arctic policy, centered on research and development, international cooperation, and sustainable use.
In this Priority Subject 1, we aim to develop capacity building for early career researchers by sending them to overseas Arctic research institutes, in order to gain experiences in overseas exchanges, including collaborative observations and international discussions. Through the systematic and continuous such efforts, we aim to strengthen the research capabilities of the research organizations involved. This subject will also contribute to the project’s goal by soliciting proposals on urgent and/or challenging research topics that complement the Strategic Goals, in light of dynamically developing international trends in Arctic research.
International Research Exchange Program
We will promote multi-year systematic exchanges of researchers, not on an individual basis, but between laboratories/research groups at universities and other research institutions in Japan and those in major overseas Arctic research institutes. This will contribute to building sustainable international research collaboration and an international network of researchers, which will, even after the program is completed, strengthen the capabilities of the whole Arctic research community as well as develop stable career paths for early career researchers.
In addition to providing opportunities for early career researchers and graduate students to pursue their research projects abroad, we will also support presentation and information gathering at international conferences by staff members in industrial and governmental sectors during their stay at overseas institutions. The goal of the program is to support voluntary and autonomous early career applicants to build their capacities overseas who are eligible to play key roles in international arenas for the Arctic issues.
Based on the latest international trends/needs in Arctic research, we will call
for spontaneous research proposals from early career researchers and urgent global-scale proposals that have not been included in our Research Programs, to complement and achieve the Strategic Goals.
Corresponding to the joint statement of the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3) held in Tokyo in May 2021, which specifically emphasized the importance of strengthening capacity building, education, and networking, three new programs are implemented from FY2022 to accelerate the “capacity building and networking” and “collaboration with Arctic indigenous peoples’ organizations”.
