Awards
The Arctic Engagement Awards provide funding support for innovative faculty-led programs, research, and other efforts that expand the University of Alaska’s Arctic engagement and visibility. Supported projects strengthen the impact of UA’s Arctic activities, elevate UA’s competitive position, and foster new partnerships across communities, disciplines, and sectors.
Awards support work that is interdisciplinary, community-connected, and responsive to the complex realities of a rapidly changing Arctic.
2026-27 Ambassador Travel + Residency Awards
Ambassador Travel + Residency Awards support short-term exchanges and international engagement representing the University of Alaska. Next deadline: Monday, November 30, 2026, for travel January to April 2027.
AY 2026
- Pascal Buri (UAF), Magnus de Witt (UAF): UArctic Congress, Faroe Islands. This team represented UA's Arctic research and policy work at the largest gathering of UArctic member institutions.
- Brandon Boylan (UAF): Arctic Encounter, Anchorage, and the UArctic Congress, Faroe Islands.
- Katie Craney (UAF): Centre for the North, University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Craney led panel and workshop discussions with circumpolar artists during a residency exchange.
AY 2027 Round 1 (August 2026)
- Chase Thompson and Molly Minick (UAF): IAMRI, Qingdao.
- Emily Lescak (UAF): Beyond Arctic PASSION.
- Adam Militello (UAF) : IPTRN, Nuuk.
2026-27 Arctic Engagement Award Recipients
Four projects have been selected for 2026-27 Arctic Engagement Awards, supporting work that connects University of Alaska research to communities, policy, and circumpolar networks.
Rebecca Moorman (UAA)
Developing Indigenous-led vocabulary for Alaska library catalog systems. The project advances Indigenous knowledge sovereignty in cataloging infrastructure and creates a model for culturally accurate metadata across UA library systems.
Donna Hauser (UAF)
Activating Indigenous ocean observations into NOAA policy and classroom curricula. The project translates community-based marine observations into formal policy and educational pipelines, expanding the impact of Indigenous-led environmental monitoring.
Magnus de Witt (UAF)
Building a geospatial framework to map Arctic renewable energy infrastructure risks. The project produces tools that help communities, agencies, and developers anticipate and mitigate environmental and operational risks for renewable energy assets in a changing Arctic.
Skylar Bayer (UAS)
Partnering UAS students with KTOO journalists to report on UA Arctic science. The project pairs student researchers with public-media journalists to translate UA Arctic science for broader Alaska audiences.
Next Arctic Engagement Awards deadline: Monday, March 15, 2027. Questions: ua-ali-info@alaska.edu
Megan Behnke (UAS)
Pilot Project: Can we use bivalves to link food security impacts and cruise ship discharge
as ship routes expand toward the Arctic?
This project examines bivalves as indicators of food security and marine ecosystem
impacts associated with expanding cruise ship traffic. The work integrates coastal
monitoring with policy analysis and community concerns.
Allison Bidlack and Vanessa Raymond (UAF)
Taking the Long View: Bridging Climate Science and Energy Planning in Rural Alaska
This project connects climate research to rural energy planning, creating interdisciplinary
pathways between scientific data, infrastructure development, and community decision-making.
Jordan Lewis (UAF)
Co-development of a One Health workshop with Elders from Interior Alaska
This project develops a culturally grounded One Health workshop in collaboration with
Elders, emphasizing resilience, Indigenous knowledge, and community-centered health
practices.
Jereme Altendorf (UAA)
Building Capacity to Protect Public Welfare after a Technological Disaster in the
Arctic
This work advances Arctic disaster readiness and workforce training, linking emergency
response, risk communication, and institutional coordination.
Gwen Holdmann (UAF)
The Electric North: Redefining the Arctic Through Infrastructure and Energy Access
This project reframes the Arctic through energy access by producing a pan-Arctic electricity
database, scholarly publications, and a podcast series highlighting infrastructure
and community perspectives.
Dr. Brandon Boylan, Dr. Amy Lauren Lovecraft, and Dr. Glenn Wright combined UAF and UAS expertise to develop a multidisciplinary public Arctic Leadership Lecture Series and an affiliated for-credit undergraduate and graduate course to showcase Arctic leadership from multiple sectors and communities. Twelve free lectures were offered in Spring 2025. Additional 90-minute sessions allowed further discussion between speakers, students in the Arctic Leadership Initiative cohort, and others registered for the course.
Dr. Alec Bennett and Dr. Brandon Boylan, UAF, created a new, one-week intensive Arctic Horizons Summer Academy for Ph.D. students that addressed a broad range of Arctic security issues. UAF will host the academy, drawing expertise from security agencies, multiple communities and industry sectors, and faculty across the UA system.
Dr. Nasim Bahari, UAA, successfully led the design and launch of a new Bachelor of Science in Project Management at the University of Alaska Anchorage. The new Bachelor of Science in Project Management will prepare competent project managers to meet the ever-growing demand for project management professionals across the State of Alaska and beyond. Dr. Bahari will also lead a session entitled: “Innovation, sustainability, and economic growth in Arctic societies: The Strategic Role of Projects, Programs, and Portfolios” at UArctic Congress 2026.
Michael DeLue, Dr. Margaret Rudolf, and Dr. Kristin Timm, from UAF’s International Arctic Research Center, developed a "Navigating Actionable Science in the Arctic" Massive Open Online Course. This team engaged with knowledge holders from agencies and communities who provided reflections on their own experience and advice for researchers new to the space. Learn more here: https://www.edx.org/learn/science/university-of-alaska-fairbanks-actionable-arctic-science
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