Research

International Arctic Research Center

The International Arctic Research Center (IARC) was established in 1999 as a cooperative research institute, funded by both the U.S. and Japanese governments. Since 2000, the National Science Foundation has funded IARC through a cooperative agreement with the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The International Arctic Research Center serves as a focal point for international collaboration in global change research in the Arctic. IARC provides an opportunity to collaborate on global change research in the Arctic on an international scale. The primary mission of the IARC is to nurture multidisciplinary research by integrating and synthesizing the research efforts presently underway by individuals and groups. Thus, IARC is carrying out both the UAF mission and UAF 2005 goal in a concrete way.

IARC is undertaking four major projects on an international scale: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, Community Arctic Modeling Project, Nansen Amundsen Basins Observational System, and Database Centers. More than 50 groups have been chosen internationally to work on IARC projects; 17 groups are from UAF. In addition, the Japanese Frontier Research System for Global Change has its arctic component at IARC.

IARC is in the building adjacent to the Elvey Building (home of the Geophysical Institute) on the UAF campus.