[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 9, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13588-13589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-04842]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Request for Public Comment: Interagency Arctic Research Policy 
Committee Draft Arctic Research Plan

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC), 
chaired by the National Science Foundation (NSF), seeks public comment 
on the draft Arctic Research Plan: 2022-2026, which can be found at 
https://www.iarpccollaborations.org/draft-plan.html.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted no later than June 4, 2021. 
Comments sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be postmarked by June 
11, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Email comments to [email protected]. Send written 
submissions to Roberto Delgado, Office of Polar Programs, National 
Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314. 
Voicemails can be left by calling (703) 783-1658 or our toll-free 
number (888) 657-7759. Please limit voicemails to five minutes in 
length.
    Instructions: Comments received electronically, including all 
attachments, must not exceed a 25-megabyte file size. Attachments to 
electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word or Excel or 
Adobe PDF file formats only. IARPC will review and consider all input 
received and revise the plan as necessary. When the final plan is 
released, comments and the commenters' names, along with responses, 
will become part of the public record and be made available on the 
IARPC Collaborations website. Do not submit confidential business 
information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. Comments 
sent by any other method, to any other address or individual, or 
received after the end of the comment period will not be considered. 
IARPC acknowledges and is grateful for the time taken to provide 
comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Meredith LaValley at 
[email protected] or visit https://www.iarpccollaborations.org/draft-plan.html where information about 
upcoming public webinars on the Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 can be 
found.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

About IARPC

    IARPC was established by the Arctic Research Policy act of 1984 
(ARPA) to ``facilitate cooperation between the Federal Government and 
State and local governments in Arctic research'' and ``recommend the 
undertaking of neglected areas of research'' (ARPA Section 104). Now a 
subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), 
IARPC enhances scientific monitoring and research on individual 
components of the Arctic, as well as how the system operates as a 
whole, through the coordination of federal agencies and domestic and 
international collaborators. It consists of representatives from 14 
federal agencies, the White House Office of Science and Technology 
Policy (OSTP), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

[[Page 13589]]

About the 2022-2026 Arctic Research Plan

    IARPC is required by law to prepare and execute a 5-year Arctic 
Research Plan, which helps coordinate the overall federal Arctic 
research effort. To address the interests and needs of all, IARPC works 
collaboratively with representatives from local communities, Indigenous 
Peoples, the state of Alaska, the private sector, non-governmental 
organizations, research institutions, and the academic community.
    In September 2019, the IARPC Principals approved the development of 
the next Arctic Research Plan, covering the period of 2022-2026, with a 
planned release at the end of 2021. On April 3, 2020, IARPC published a 
notice in the Federal Register to request public input on the content 
and organization of the 2022-2026 Plan (86 FR 19031). In September 
2020, IARPC convened a workshop to develop the potential priority areas 
for the 2022-2026 Arctic Research Plan for consideration by the IARPC 
Principals. The draft plan reflects input received from these 
processes.
    Arctic Research Plans focus on research that will be enhanced 
through collaboration among federal agencies and collaborators, align 
with federal agencies missions and with the goals and objectives set 
out by the U.S. Arctic Research Commission. The Arctic Research Plan 
2022-2026 will provide a blueprint for effective federal coordination, 
thus positioning the U.S. to remain a global leader in Arctic research 
and stewardship for years to come.

Overview of the Draft Plan

    As with the Arctic Research Plan 2017-2021, this new plan adheres 
to four critical policy drivers in U.S. Arctic research that reflect 
long-standing U.S. interests in the Arctic and the collective 
priorities of IARPC federal agencies. Policy drivers include: Well-
Being; Stewardship; Security; and Arctic-Global Systems.
    There are four priority areas with thematic goals that, (1) 
represent areas of broad, crosscutting focus that need additional 
attention or research, (2) support one or more policy drivers, (3) meet 
the mission and interests of more than one federal agency, (4) and 
engage multiple existing collaboration teams and non-federal partners. 
Priority areas and goals include:

    1. Community Resilience and Health: Improve community resilience 
and well-being by strengthening research and tools to increase 
understanding of interdependent social, natural, and built systems 
in the Arctic.
    2. Arctic Systems Interactions: Enhance our ability to observe, 
understand, predict, and project the Arctic's dynamic interconnected 
systems and their linkages to the Earth system as a whole.
    3. Sustainable Economies and Livelihoods: Monitor, maintain, and 
proactively adapt the Arctic's natural, social, and built systems to 
promote sustainable economies and livelihoods.
    4. Risk Management and Hazard Mitigation: Secure and improve 
quality of life through an understanding of disaster risk exposure, 
sensitivity to hazard, and adaptive capacity.

    In addition to identifying four priority areas, this plan builds 
upon five foundational activities. These activities are critical to 
achieving the priority area goals and will remain foundational to 
Arctic research beyond the five-year duration of this plan. 
Foundational activities include: Co-Production of Knowledge and 
Indigenous-Led Research; Data Management; Education; Monitoring, 
Observing, Modeling, and Prediction; and Technology Application and 
Innovation.
    In contrast to the previous Arctic Research Plans, this plan 
presents a high-level strategy without explicit direction on 
implementation. For IARPC to respond more swiftly to emerging or 
immediate needs while continuing to support U.S. Arctic policy, this 
plan will be carried out through biennial implementation plans. These 
implementation plans will identify specific objectives, deliverables, 
and metrics. Four new priority area collaboration teams will be 
established to direct and coordinate activities including those of 
existing collaboration teams, to achieve goals and ensure the 
coordination of non-federal partners and resources.

Seeking Input

    IARPC seeks comment on the draft Arctic Research Plan 2022-2026 to 
ensure Arctic research interests, needs, and priorities are addressed 
appropriately. Specifically, comment is sought on priority area goals, 
justifications, and potential partners; the foundational activities; 
and the implementation and metrics for measuring success.

    Dated: March 4, 2021.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2021-04842 Filed 3-8-21; 8:45 am]
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