Community Engagement and Knowledge Coproduction in NSF Arctic Research

Guidance for community-engaged Arctic research

Given the deep knowledge held by local and Indigenous residents in the Arctic, NSF recognizes the importance of collaboration with Arctic residents and welcomes collaborations that improve NSF-funded research.

These collaborations can take a variety of forms based on the nature of the scientific projects, the needs and unique strengths of community members and organizations and the scope of planned collaboration. Some example and guidance are provided below.

Research sites near local and Indigenous communities or their lands

Proposers preparing projects working near, with, or impacting local and Indigenous communities are strongly encouraged to engage communities early in the proposal development stages, not once the proposal is developed.

In accordance with the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic (link is external) , researchers should coordinate their field activities with nearby communities and are expected to share results with communities following each field season and/or at the end of the project. Investigators should include travel funds for this in their proposal budgets.

Some projects may require discussion with tribal or subsistence co-management organizations at the proposal stage and prior to fieldwork. The project schedule should include time for these discussions and planning. Travel and salary funds for the discussions' participants should be included in the proposal budget.

Investigators interested in using the Arctic Research Support and Logistics (RSL) Program's prime logistics support contract — currently Battelle Arctic Research (ARO) (link is external) should contact the ARO science project planners at arctic.planning@battelle.org in the pre-proposal stage for more information.

Community engagement

Community engagement refers to substantive interaction with community partner individuals, communities organizations and anchor institutions, such as governments, federal, state and local agencies; schools, libraries, health and social service providers; tribal and Indigenous-serving organizations; nonprofits; cultural organizations; and businesses. 

In accordance with the IARPC Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic (link is external) , investigators and community partners are recommended to work closely to develop and evaluate creative approaches to achieving meaningful engagement for mutual benefit and scientific vitality.

Coproduction of knowledge

NSF identifies coproduction of knowledge as the integration of different knowledge systems and methodologies to systematically understand the phenomena, systems and processes being studied in a research project. This approach should involve full engagement in the research process, from the development of research questions to the collection, use and stewardship of data and interpretation and application of results.

The coproduction of knowledge in the Arctic can take various forms, but often involves Indigenous knowledge-holders, local community members and scientists working closely together to address shared research questions, pursue shared methodologies and agree on appropriate outreach and data-sharing activities.

Investigators intending to pursue knowledge coproduction in the Arctic should begin collaboration during the development of the research questions and are recommended to put into practice the IARPC Principles for Conducting Research in the Arctic (link is external) .

Relevant funding opportunities

Program
Next Required Due Date: January 14, 2026
Supports research and practice in informal STEM learning settings, with a focus on engaging diverse audiences, increasing STEM participation and fostering a sense of belonging, particularly for historically excluded and underrepresented groups.
Posted August 28, 2024
Program
Supports creation of global research networks that leverage previous NSF investments to accelerate scientific progress and build a diverse U.S. workforce trained to lead multi-disciplinary international collaborations and tackle grand scientific challenges.
Posted August 25, 2023
Program
Next Required Due Date: January 15, 2026
Supports research that advances a fundamental, process or systems-level understanding of the Arctic's rapidly changing natural environment and social and cultural systems and that improves capacity in projecting future change.
Posted March 22, 2023
Program
Supports doctoral research on the connection between social, biological, physical and geochemical components of the Arctic system and the changing connections between the Arctic and lower latitudes.
Posted August 7, 2020
Program
Broadens participation in the social, behavioral and economic sciences through support for research, training and research infrastructure at minority-serving institutions, including partnerships with and among those institutions.
Posted October 24, 2024
Dear Colleague Letter
Next Required Due Date: See letter for details
Encourages proposals on research and development projects that facilitate access to polar research efforts in undergraduate education, informal science education and preK-12 science or math education.
Posted September 17, 2019
Dear Colleague Letter
Next Required Due Date: See letter for details
Encourages proposals to support both the Arctic and Antarctic research communities by leveraging existing data, physical samples and non-physical samples to advance polar science.
Posted January 27, 2021
Program
Next Required Due Date: November 12, 2025
Posted May 25, 2023
Program
Next Required Due Date: September 15, 2025
Posted July 15, 2022
Program
Next Required Due Date: September 15, 2025
Supports doctoral research that digitally records and documents languages — with an emphasis on endangered languages — through the preparation of lexicons, grammars, text samples and databases, advancing linguistic theory and the study of language.
Posted July 15, 2022
Program
Supports projects that promote, improve and disseminate responsible and ethical research practices in STEM fields, focusing on individual, organizational and cultural factors influencing ethical conduct across career stages and research environments.
Posted September 5, 2024
Program
Next Required Due Date: July 16, 2025
Supports projects to improve STEM teaching and learning for undergraduate students, including studying what works and for whom and how to transform institutions to adopt successful practices in STEM education.
Posted October 19, 2022
Program
Supports interdisciplinary, evidence-based traineeships that advance ways for graduate students in research-based master's and doctoral degree programs to pursue a range of STEM careers.
Posted August 16, 2024
Program
Supports postdoctoral researchers performing interdisciplinary polar research that develops partnerships across polar regions or with nonpolar research communities. Fellowships also support researchers who have had limited access to polar research resources.
Posted September 29, 2022
Program
Next Required Due Date: August 4, 2025
Posted August 24, 2022
Program
Next Required Due Date: September 2, 2025
Supports tribal colleges and universities, Alaska Native-serving institutions and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions to promote STEM research and education to increase the number of Native Americans in STEM careers.
Posted June 23, 2021

Resources for researchers and Arctic communities

NSF has supported the creation of numerous resources for researchers and people living in the Arctic to better understand the entire landscape of ongoing Arctic research, access data and information related to NSF-funded research and learn more about the Indigenous peoples in the Arctic and the ethical behavior expected of NSF-funded researchers working in the Arctic. 

Collaborating organizations

Below you can find information on organizations NSF collaborates with to support Arctic research, education and outreach. 

Contact us

For questions or additional information about Arctic community engagement and NSF, please contact ACE@nsf.gov