Collaborative Research: The Polaris Project II: Amplifying the Impact

The Polaris Project II seeks to amplify the impact of Polaris I (now in its third and final year) through its extension, expansion, and enhancement. The three overarching objectives of Polaris II are to 1) train the next generation of arctic researchers, 2) advance scientific understanding of the Arctic, and 3) expand public awareness of the feedbacks between the Arctic and the global climate system. These objectives will be accomplished through a multi-faceted effort that includes a summer field course/research experience in the Siberian Arctic, a series of on-campus arctic-focused courses, and a wide range of outreach activities. While undergraduate students remain the primary focus of Polaris II, participation in the annual field course will be expanded to include a K-12 teacher, graduate student, postdoctoral researcher, and visiting faculty member each year. Outreach activities will target K-12 students and teachers, undergraduate students and faculty, and a diverse public audience. The unifying scientific theme of the Polaris Project is the transport and transformation of carbon and nutrients as they move with water from terrestrial uplands to the Arctic Ocean. Research conducted by the interdisciplinary Polaris Project team of faculty and students will make fundamental contributions to the scientific understanding of this topic, a central issue in arctic system science. While continued scientific advances are essential for arctic system understanding, prediction, and protection, tackling the climate change challenge is also a matter of education. Polaris II offers a unique experience in undergraduate research that will inspire and prepare a new generation of arctic researchers. Further, it will convey the importance of the Arctic to the public and to policy-makers, providing them with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions. The Polaris Project will achieve a broad and lasting impact by linking interdisciplinary scientific research to innovative undergraduate education and imaginative public outreach. In addition to providing a transformative experience for the participants in the annual Siberian field course, Polaris II will educate large numbers of undergraduate students who complete the Polaris-affiliated on-campus courses. The project will also engage K-12 students and teachers through direct and sustained interactions with Polaris PIs and broad dissemination of education and outreach materials. Finally, Polaris II will inform a diverse public audience about the state of the Arctic, ecosystems research, and global climate change. Approaches to project outreach include expansion of the Polaris website and associated blog (www.thepolarisproject.org) and the development of an online seminar series for undergraduates, K-12 teachers, and public participants. The production and wide distribution of multimedia videos addressing key arctic science themes will further expand the reach of the project, as will the inclusion of a writer in the 2011 field course with the objective of publishing a book about the Arctic, climate change, and the Polaris Project experience. As a resource for the scientific and education communities, Polaris data will be freely available through the project website and the Advanced Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service (ACADIS).

北极星项目II（Polaris Project II）旨在通过拓展、扩容与优化，放大已进入第三年且即将收官的北极星项目I（Polaris Project I）的影响力。该项目的三大核心目标为：1）培育下一代北极研究人才；2）深化对北极地区的科学认知；3）提升公众对北极与全球气候系统间反馈机制的认知水平。上述目标将通过多维度工作实现，包括在西伯利亚北极地区开展的夏季野外课程与科研实践、一系列聚焦北极的校内课程，以及覆盖广泛的科普拓展活动。
尽管本科生仍是北极星项目II的核心服务对象，年度野外课程的参与名额将逐年扩容，纳入1名K12教师、1名研究生、1名博士后研究员与1名访问学者。科普拓展活动将面向K12师生、本科生与教职员工，以及多元公众群体开展。
北极星项目的核心科学主题为：碳与营养盐随水体从陆地高地向北冰洋输运与转化的过程。由教职员工与学生组成的跨学科北极星项目团队所开展的研究，将为该主题的科学认知提供基础性贡献——该主题是北极系统科学的核心议题之一。尽管持续的科学进展对北极系统的认知、预测与保护至关重要，但应对气候变化挑战同样离不开教育赋能。
北极星项目II为本科生科研提供了独特的实践路径，将激励并培育新一代北极研究人才。此外，该项目将向公众与政策制定者传递北极地区的重要价值，为其提供科学决策所需的知识支撑。北极星项目通过将跨学科科学研究与创新型本科生教育、富有创意的公众科普拓展活动相结合，将产生广泛且深远的影响力。
除了为年度西伯利亚野外课程的参与者提供变革性实践体验，北极星项目II还将面向修读北极星项目关联校内课程的大量本科生开展教学活动。该项目还将通过与北极星项目首席研究员（Principal Investigator, PI）的直接且持续的互动，以及广泛分发教育与科普拓展材料，与K12师生建立联结。最后，北极星项目II将向多元公众群体科普北极现状、生态系统研究以及全球气候变化相关内容。
项目的科普拓展举措包括升级北极星项目官方网站及关联博客（www.thepolarisproject.org），为本科生、K12教师与公众参与者打造在线研讨会系列活动。制作并广泛分发聚焦北极核心科学主题的多媒体视频，将进一步扩大项目的传播范围；2011年野外课程邀请作家随行、旨在出版一本关于北极、气候变化与北极星项目实践经历的书籍，也将起到同样的效果。
作为服务于科研与教育界的资源，北极星项目的相关数据将通过项目官网与北极合作先进数据与信息服务中心（Advanced Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service, ACADIS）免费开放获取。