This WORD template is to assist in developing an agreed document for submission to IPY by June 30, 2005. Submissions to the IPO are to be made ONLY via the online version of this form which will be available at http://www.ipy.org/

1.0 PROPOSER INFORMATION

1.1 Title of Activity

1.2 Short Form Title of Proposed Activity

1.3 Activity Leader Details

1.4 Lead International Organisation(s) (if applicable)

1.5 Other Countries involved in the activity

1.6 Expression of Intent ID #’s brought together in the proposed activity(Lead first)

1.7 Location of Field Activities (Arctic, Antarctic or Bipolar)

1.8 Which IPY themes are addressed (insert X where appropriate)

1.9 What is the main IPY target addressed by this activity (insert X for 1 choice)

2.0 SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITY (maximum of 1 page A4)

Recent climate change in the central Arctic Ocean predicts shifting of ice-edge to the north, decreasing of sea-ice extent and thickness, increasing of ice-free areas, and warming of surface water. All evidence indicates that a complex suite of interrelated atmospheric and oceanic changes are now underway, affecting every part of the polar environment and ecosystems. Understanding and quantifying these changes is complicated by sparseness of observations. Traditionally, the knowledge about physical, chemical, and biological processes in the central Arctic Ocean is obtained mostly in ship-based expeditions and/or at the drifting ice stations. In fact, trans-arctic ice breaker expeditions cover very short period of observations (one-two summer months) but observations at ice drifting stations are connected with one ice floe and cover very small study area. It is obvious that it needs new approaches in polar research to conduct oceanographic observations for estimating and forecasting potential changes in the marine environment and consequent effects on ecosystems.

Taking into account a noticeable gap of knowledge about physical, chemical, and biological processes in the central Arctic Ocean it proposes to conduct during the IPY 2007-2008 the Pan Arctic Ice Camp Expedition (PAICEX). A major goal of PAICEX is to develop several manned sea-ice platforms to support basin-wide, continuous round-year, multi-disciplinary observations in the Arctic Ocean with a focus on studies of low atmosphere-sea ice-upper ocean system. Observations should resolve variability on scale of 400-500 km, which is typical of meteorological length scales, or different ecosystems as well as located in key regions of large decadal variability and long-term trends; priority should be given to locations with long historical records like Beaufort Gyre (Canada Basin) and Transarctic Ice Drift (Eurasian Basin). PAICEX scientific and logistic conceptions were approved by a resolution of the IPY National Committee of Russia, September 30, 2005. It was discussed at the IPY Organizing Committee of Russia in Sochi, October 2005, and at the ICARP II Science Planning Workshop, in the Denmark, November 2005.

Scientific concept of PAICEX is to show: How will recent warming in the Arctic affect physical, chemical and biological properties of the low atmosphere-sea ice-upper ocean system? Do the recent remarkable shrinking and melting of permanent sea ice cover and warming and freshening of surface water in the Canada Basin of the Arctic Ocean represent to be local or connect with globally processes in a whole scale of the Arctic Ocean? Still now, an information about these questions is still insufficient, however, the knowledge is very important for assessment of the permanent sea-ice cover condition and modeling of climatic and ecological processes in the Arctic Ocean in the nearest future.

Logistic concept of PAICEX is to organize during the IPY a number (8-10) of Ice Drifting Camps (IDC) in key-regions of the central Arctic Ocean. Each IDC team will consist of 5-7 scientific and logistic persons to develop and conduct field round-year observations. Science and Action Plans need to be similar at each IDC as well as field observations and samplings need to be done with same technique, field and labs equipment, using same methods of measurements, scheduled samplings, fixation etc. Main priorities need to be focused on observations of snow-ice cover dynamic, CTD casts, hydrological samplings and biodiversity studies. The large-scale synchronous annual data set would be very important for assessment of permanent sea-ice cover, upper ocean and ecosystems conditions and helpful for Arctic climate models.

Russia has a unique experience in establishing drifting stations and conducting air operations in the Arctic. That is why the Russian participants of the PAICEX are able to provide complete logistic support. However, the scale of the PAICEX does not allow preparing and implementing it by one country's effort. It suggests organizing an international consortium from various countries involving into the IPY research to develop PAICEX Science and Action plans. In this case it is evident that the PAICEX-IPY scientific program under umbrella of International Science Steering Committee can be significantly added and expanded. PAICEX website is recently under development (www.paice.ru ).

2.1 What is the evidence of inter-disciplinarity in this activity?

2.2 What will be the significant advances/developments from this activity? What will be the major deliverables, including the outputs for your peers?

2.3 Outline the geographical location(s) for the proposed field work (approximate coordinates will be helpful if possible)

2.4 Define the approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities?

2.5 What major logistic support/facilities will be required for this project? (see notes)

2.6 How will the required logistics be supplied? Have operators been approached?

2.7 If working in the Arctic regions, has there been contact with local indigenous groups or relevant authorities regarding access?

3.0 STRUCTURE OF THE ACTIVITY

3.1 Origin of the activity(X for one choice)

3.2 How will the activity be organised and managed? Describe the proposed management structure and means for coordinating across the cluster

3.3 Will the activity leave a legacy of infrastructure and if so in what form?

3.4 Will the activity involve nations other than traditional polar nations? How will this be addressed?

3.5 Will this activity be linked with other IPY core activities? If yes please specify

3.6 How will the activity manage its data? Is there a viable plan and which data management organisations/structures will be involved?

3.7 Data Policy Agreement (Place X in box for agreement)

3.8 How will the activity contribute to developing the next generation of polar scientists, logisticians, etc.?

3.9 How will this activity address education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?

3.10 What are the proposed sources of funding for this activity?

3.11 Additional Comments

4.0 CONSORTIUM INFORMATION

4.1 Contact Details

4.2 Other significant consortium members and their affiliation

** The form is not for submission (that must be done online) - it is a tool for preparing the material required for completing the online form.

** This form is 7 pages long and the online form will match this length so if your completed WORD template is 7 pages you will have no problems in cutting and pasting to the online form

** We suggest you use 11 pt Times or Times Roman for text entry.

Proposer Information

1.1 A full title for the proposed activity

1.2 Please provide a short title, ideally an acronym which will help with database searching.

1.3 This should be the person nominated to lead the activity. They may also be the primary contact with whom the IPO and JC will interact (see 4.1)

1.4 Where an international organisation is involved in the activity, they should be named (acronym is sufficient)

1.5 These are countries other than that of the activity leader. There will be more cells available on the web form. It is important that each activity demonstrate that there is internationalisation. Components of IPY activities can be operating at simply a national level but should synchronize with comparable groups in other nations activities to ensure internationalization at the IPY activity (core project) level.

1.6 The ID # for each EoI (from the Jan 14 exercise) involved in the activity should be named here. This will allow the IPO to track EoI’s that have joined or left clusters identified in the original assessment.

1.7 Insert only one of the three choices.

1.8 Put an X against all of the themes for which the activity is relevant.

1.9 Put an X against one of the IPY targets which most closely describes the activity’s main target

Activity Description and Time/Location Information

2.0 A description of what the activity entails and that includes reference to how the various component EoI’s contribute to the overall activity. The description should focus on what will be undertaken within the activity and not how it will be organised. The text must not include graphics, equations or substantial formatting as these all cause problems for the database search engine. The JC only wants text entry in this field – leave the fancy presentations for the funding agency applications. Do not exceed 1 page.

2.1 The IPY is promoting interdisciplinary science and it is one of the IPY criteria that researchers should attempt to address.

2.2 This should focus on what will broadly emerge from the activity and if possible list some deliverables. It will be valuable to outline what outputs will be targeted at your peers – papers, workshops, e-media.

2.3 IPY activities should be polar-focussed (not necessarily located in polar regions. These fields should identify one or more areas where field activities will occur, e.g. West Antarctic Ice Sheet, Weddell Sea, Svalbard, Greenland. There is no need to include reference to Antarctica or Arctic (picked up in 1.7). If approximate coordinates are available this will allow distribution maps to be generated for IPY planning and promotional activities and assist logistic operators. An IPY activity does not have to include a field component but will do so in most cases.

2.4 IPY activities should occur during 2007-2009. Use the given format to define fieldwork periods.

2.5 This refers to major facilities and infrastructure and some examples (not comprehensive) are given below. Please use the fields to enter logistic requirements and use the text box to add further details.

Please note if your project will share facilities with other IPY activities, or if there is capacity to support other projects as part of your activity (e.g. a marine biodiversity cruise could feasibly offer to deploy or recover buoys, moorings, etc., for an ocean/climate project).

2.6 Mark X against the 1 or more support options you would anticipate using and place an X against those which have been agreed or are being considered by logistic operators.

2.7 Access to certain Arctic areas is subject to licensing and should not be assumed will be granted so a dialogue with relevant authorities will be necessary. The Canadian IPY Office is a useful start point.

Structure of the Activity

3.1 Identify if your activity is a new activity limited to the IPY period, a new one that may be running for many years but will use IPY to kick start its programme, or an existing programme that will undertake a pulse of activity to coincide with the IPY period. If the latter please name the programme.

3.2 A major IPY criterion is “evidence of a viable management plan” and this is an opportunity to outline how the cluster will organise itself and ensure there is proper coordination. The Joint Committee for IPY 2007-2008 will be overseeing Polar Year activities but will not be managing the individual projects. It is anticipated that IPY projects will be self-managed, free-standing activities or be part of a planned or existing programme that has an established management structure. The JC will need to be satisfied that all proposals have realistic plans for structuring and managing activities. For the larger proposals the JC anticipates that a Project Steering Committee will be established.

3.3 Whilst IPY is envisaged as primarily a pulse of activity during 2007-2009, it is hoped that, as with many IGY initiatives, the initial activity leaves a legacy longer term which could be for example – an observational network, a field research facility, an accessible database, an education course or a health monitoring programme.

3.4 The IPY wants to broaden interest in the polar regions to include nations not traditionally involved in polar activities and has included this as one of its criteria. In some cases this may involve researchers joining clusters for field work but could also be, for example, through attendance of a workshop organised by the cluster.

3.5 The Joint Committee envisages a relatively small number of substantial core projects during IPY and it is anticipated that the JC will assist these projects to interact. Some activities are already considering formal and informal links with related clusters which will bring added value to these IPY activities.

3.6 IPY will generate enormous quantities of data and it should be accessible data so core projects will have to agree a data policy that will allow interaction across projects and early availability to the community. This field offers the opportunity to demonstrate that the components of the cluster have an agreed and valid approach to data management which can be considered alongside other approaches across IPY by the Data Management Sub-Committee to ensure effective coordination. Data organisations such as the World Data Centres, JCADM or national data centres.

3.7 IPY wishes all data to be freely available to the community (accepting certain exceptions e.g. human research) and all core projects will be expected to agree to sign up to the IPY Data Policy (which will be available on the website before the end of May 2005.

3.8 IPY has the development of the next generation of polar researchers as a high priority and IPY activities should show evidence of having considered how to address this issue.

3.9 All activities are expected to give consideration to addressing education, outreach and communication (mainly media focussed). Establishing a website will be a popular suggestion but interactions with schools, involving children/teachers in field activities, holding workshops, producing books or electronic media, collaborating with film-makers are all further possibilities.

3.10 It is recognised that many proposed activities will not yet have established funding lines but it should be demonstrated that valid sources of funding will be approached to support the activity.

3.11 This field can be used for any additional information that you feel is not addressed in the rest of the form or it maybe a specific piece of information that helps a national committee locate its nation’s proposed activities.

Consortium Information

4.1 Details for the two primary people in each activity that the IPO can then contact where necessary on behalf of the consortium.

4.2 A list of other significant consortium members, their affiliation and country. The on-line form will also ask for email addresses. Up to 35 additional names can be added to this table, more will be available in the online version.