The IASC Fellowship Program was established in 2014 and is meant to engage early career researchers in the work of the IASC Working Groups (WGs): Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social & Human, and Terrestrial. Each year, one Fellow per WG is chosen. In addition, at least one early career Arctic Indigenous Scholar or Knowledge Holder is selected per year, who can choose which IASC WG to engage in.
IASC Fellows are usually doctoral or postdoctoral researchers who actively participate in selected activities of the IASC WGs. Fellows are expected to contribute scientifically but also to help organize specific activities and to coordinate the reporting to the IASC Secretariat. Thus, the Fellowship Program provides the opportunity for ECSs to become involved in leading-edge scientific activities at a circumarctic and international level, to build an international network, and also to develop management skills. The level of involvement very much depends on the Fellow's interest - the more you invest, the more you get out of it!
The total duration of the IASC Fellowship Program is 1+2 years.
- First year: the Fellows will receive travel support to attend two consecutive Arctic Science Summit Weeks (ASSWs) where the annual IASC WG meetings are held.
- Second and Third Year (optional): Fellows have the opportunity to stay involved in their IASC WG for up to two additional years without dedicated funding support from IASC.
Important Note: The travel support during the first Fellowship year is the only financial remuneration for the Fellows. Salary is not included during the Fellowship.
IASC Fellowship Program 2025
For the IASC Fellowship 2025, IASC will offer 9 IASC Fellowships.
- five regular IASC Fellowships: one Fellow for each of the five IASC Working Groups.
- one IASC Indigenous Fellowship for an early career Arctic Indigenous Scholar or Knowledge Holder. In addition to joining an IASC Working Group of their choice, the Fellow will also be invited to join the IASC Standing Committee on Indigenous Involvement.
- three IASC-PA2F Fellowships: these Fellowships are generously funded by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (PA2F) as part of the Polar Initiative. The Fellows will join an IASC Working Group of their choice.
Special Fellowships in Cooperation with Partners
At times, IASC also offers special joint Fellowships in cooperation with other partners.
- IASC-PA2F Fellowhsips: These fellowships established in 2022 are funded by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (PA2F) as part of the Polar Initiative.
- SDWG-IASSA-IASC Fellowship: This fellowship offered for the first time for 2022 encourages an early career scholar to participate in and contribute to the work of the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) of the Arctic Council. The Fellowship will enable the recipient to get involved in the process of making research relevant for policy and contribute to policy recommendations. The fellowship is offered jointly by IASC, the SDWG, and the International Association for Arctic Social Sciences (IASSA).
- SAON-IASC Fellowships: This fellowship offered for the first time for 2022 by the Sustaining Arctic Observing Network (SAON) and IASC supports an early career researcher to get more involved in the work of SAON.
- CAFF-IASC Science Policy Fellowships: In 2018 and 2020, IASC, in cooperation with the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group of the Arctic Council offered the CAFF-IASC Science Policy Fellowships to help early career researchers to get more involved in the process of taking research from results through to science policy recommendations. These fellowships involved early career researchers in CAFF´s Arctic Migratory Bird Initiative (AMBI) and Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP).
Selection Process
The IASC Fellow selection process is managed by the IASC coordinator and conducted in close cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) as well as the Steering Groups of the IASC WGs.
A call for applications is released each year in September through the IASC and APECS mailing lists, websites and social media. Any doctoral or postdoctoral researcher from an IASC member country can apply. Required qualifications include demonstrated scientific interest and skills within a field that is relevant to the respective one or more WGs priorities and a good command of the English language.
The IASC Fellowship review process is coordinated by APECS. All applications will be reviewed in a blind review process with each application being reviewed by at least 2 independent reviewers. Applications will be reviewed according to multiple criteria including your research background and the quality of your statement of interest of why you would like to become an IASC Fellow. After this initial review process, top ranked candidates will be forwarded to the IASC Secretariat as well as the IASC Working Group Steering Groups, who will make the final decision on their Fellows.
IASC Support
Each year IASC will select one new ECS Fellow per WG plus an Indigenous Fellow (up to six in total) . In their first year, selected Fellows will be financially supported (travel/accommodation/meal reimbursement), to attend attend two consecutive Arctic Science Summit Weeks (ASSWs) when annual WG meetings are held. IASC Fellows receive travel support to attend two ASSWs, so that in each WG meeting there is one incoming, and at least one outgoing, Fellow.