The future of polar research depends on today's early career researchers, yet their voices are often absent from large-scale decision marking and priority-setting processes. At the Polar Early Career World Summit (PECWS), 120 emerging researchers, professionals, Indigenous scholars, and knowledge holders from across the globe gathered to define priorities that will influence the next years of Arctic, Antarctic, and cryosphere research.
Summit Overview and Approach
The Polar Science Early Career Community Office (PSECCO) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) organized PECWS during ICARP IV / ASSW 2025 in Boulder, Colorado. The summit strengthened polar early career networks while ensuring the next generation's perspectives directly inform the ICARP IV process and the upcoming International Polar Year (IPY) in 2032-2033.
Participants represented diverse regions and polar science and cryosphere disciplines. The summit's design emphasized collaborative and consensus-based priority-setting rather than individual input or presentations, creating space for meaningful cross-disciplinary dialogue about the future of polar research. Participant-run workshops and a volunteer Planning Team ensured that participants had the opportunity to shape the PECWS program.
Priority Development Process
The summit employed a structured approach to capture early career perspectives in polar research priorities. Twelve priority theme groups were established before the summit based on community input gathered through an online form (Figure 1). These themes reflect the breadth of contemporary polar research concerns.
The priority development process unfolded in multiple phases. Groups first brainstormed within their theme groups to establish initial priorities. Participants then provided feedback across themes, ensuring cross-pollination of ideas. This step also incorporated ideas gathered digitally from those who could not participate physically. Next, groups synthesized discussions into refined priorities and vision statements for polar research. This collaborative approach generated substantial output: 75 distinct priorities accompanied by 186 reasonings and actions to advance these priorities. Each group presented their priorities to the full PECWS cohort on the final day of the summit.
Inclusive Participation
PECWS incorporated multiple participation pathways, recognizing the barriers many early career individuals face in attending physical events. In addition to online input in advance of the event, three PECWS share out and engagement events were held on 28 May, planned to accommodate different time zones. This hybrid approach expanded participation well beyond the 120 summit attendees, capturing diverse viewpoints from the global polar early career community.
Synthesis and Impact
The outcomes from the physical summit and asynchronous community input are being synthesized into multiple formats designed to influence polar science priority setting and decision-making. The primary output, a synthesis report, will present the final, synthesized PECWS priorities.
The synthesis report, expected to be completed in August 2025, will be shared directly with partners in the polar community, targeting those actively working in priority setting processes (e.g. ICARP IV International Steering Committee and Research Priority Team (RPT) chairs; IPY Planning Group and Task Group leads). APECS and PSECCO will advertise and reference this synthesis report when advocating for early career perspectives in the variety of arenas they work in.
Building on the momentum of the PECWS, a collaboration with the journal PLOS Climate provides a venue for the polar early career community (not just those who attended the summit) to express their views on the future of polar research. Contributions will focus on early career perspectives towards international priority setting and coordination processes in polar research. This partnership extends the summit's impact through peer-reviewed publications.
Key Outcomes
PECWS achieved three critical short-term results. First, the summit strengthened the polar early career community through meaningful connections and collaboration. Second, it increased early career attendance and engagement in ICARP IV and ASSW 2025. Lastly, it provided a concrete avenue for the polar early career community to contribute to shaping polar research priorities and addressing knowledge gaps. This involvement ensures research priorities reflect the perspectives of those who will conduct much of the work in coming decades.
The long-term legacy of the PECWS is continued engagement of the polar early career community in the entire lead-up to and completion of the next IPY. The visions and priorities developed at PECWS provide a roadmap for polar research that reflects interdisciplinary collaboration, global perspectives, and the urgency of addressing contemporary polar challenges. It is critical that early career community members do not only participate in IPY activities, but also help define and execute them.
Highlights:
- Early career perspectives in practice: PECWS outcomes are being synthesized into multiple formats—including a forthcoming synthesis report and journal publications—to inform research priority setting and decision-making processes. This ensures that early career voices actively shape both the direction and execution of international polar research
- Centering Indigenous voices in polar research: Indigenous researchers and knowledge-holders were especially encouraged to apply, and were prioritized in the selection process. Some of the theme groups specifically focused on inclusivity and accessibility in polar research, as well as equitable and relationship-centered engagement with local and Indigenous Peoples’ groups and communities.
- Fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in polar science: PECWS emphasized breaking down disciplinary silos by bringing together early career researchers from diverse fields—natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, Indigenous studies, and more—to co-create research priorities. This interdisciplinary approach is essential for addressing the complex, interconnected challenges facing polar regions.
Figure 1: The 12 priority themes that discussions at PECWS centered around.
Date and Location
22 – 24 March 2025 | iBoulder, Colorado, USA ASSW 2025 / ICARP IV
IASC Working Groups funding the project
- Atmosphere WG
- Cryosphere WG
- Marine WG
- Social & Human WG
- Terrestrial WG
Project Lead
Mariama Dryák-Vallies ,University of Colorado Boulder, USA, and Sarah Strand (Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS)
Year funded by IASC
2024