The intent of the ISAC Science Plan is to outline an open-ended international research program and framework for a comprehensive study of arctic environmental change in all its dimensions. ISAC builds on existing efforts to further understand past, present, and expected arctic change and carry over new insights into the public and the decision-making arenas. ISAC is an iterative program growing from the successes of past arctic science programs and those initiated during the International Polar Year (IPY). The science plan provides background information on recent arctic changes and frames science questions to guide integrated research. ISAC includes both basic and applied science and connects with national and international efforts to observe, understand, and respond to pan-arctic environmental change.

ISAC was initiated by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Arctic Ocean Sciences Board (AOSB) following the SEARCH Open Science Meeting held in Seattle, in October 2003. The conference brought together over 440 researchers from around the world to present and discuss progress in research on rapid environmental change in the Arctic.

The draft science plan is posted here. Reviews and comments should be sent to info@arcticchange.org no later than Friday, 1 May 2009.