When polar researchers from around the world gathered in Boulder this past March for the Arctic Science Summit Week, they brought more than just scientific expertise. A new generation of early-career polar professionals came with a vision to transform how polar research is conducted, funded, and shared with the world.

The Polar Early Career World Summit (PECWS) 2025, co-hosted by the University of Colorado Boulder's Polar Science Early Career Community Office (PSECCO) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), brought together 238 early-career polar researchers from five continents to identify shared priorities for the future of polar science. PSECCO, housed within the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at CU Boulder, co-organized the summit to feed directly into planning for major international polar research initiatives. The results of that gathering are now available in a comprehensive synthesis report that could reshape how the international community approaches future polar research.

“It's wonderful that we were able to bring together early career folks in person from vastly different backgrounds, disciplines, locations, and experience,” said PSECCO Director Mariama Dryák-Vallies. “We also engaged early career researchers via online input to develop a synthesis report reflecting a global early career voice—and that's pretty remarkable!”

Instead of focusing on research findings, PECWS participants spent their time reimagining how polar science gets done. The resulting priorities, outlined in 12 vision statements and 75 specific recommendations, emphasize community-centered research practices, equitable funding systems, and inclusive approaches that honor Indigenous knowledge systems alongside Western science.

"The polar early career community believes that to do the best science we can, we must consider each of these priorities alongside our science goals and build processes that enable us to tackle urgent science questions responsibly," the report states.

The summit was timed to inform planning for two major polar science initiatives: the Fourth International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP IV) and the upcoming Fifth International Polar Year (IPY-5), scheduled for 2032 to 2033.

“It was really powerful to see sessions that were intentionally planned to encourage dialogue amongst participants and elicit perspectives,” said Natasha Haycock-Chavez, PECWS organizing committee member. “It felt different than your typical science conference; we’re building community and creating something actionable.”

PSECCO used an innovative "world café" method that allowed summit participants to contribute to multiple discussion themes beyond their specific expertise areas. The approach reflects the organization's broader mission to build community and provide support for early-career polar scientists nationally.

The organization has been instrumental in creating pathways for collaboration across traditional disciplinary boundaries. With funding from the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs, PSECCO works to empower early-career scientists, provide resources and training opportunities, and foster a more welcoming polar science environment, ready to tackle research questions to advance polar research.

“Through intentional event design and norms-building, we’re able to help early-career scientists build bridges with others who literally and metaphorically speak different languages,” Dryák-Vallies said.

The report identifies six cross-cutting priorities that appeared across multiple research themes, including fundamental changes to how polar research is funded and conducted. Current funding structures, participants noted, are inadequate for supporting the collaborative, relationship-based research that polar science requires.

Among the key recommendations are calls for funding cycles that support relationship building with local communities, reduce barriers to international collaboration, and eliminate unpaid labor in research. The report also emphasizes the need to move beyond narrow definitions of science to embrace diverse knowledge systems, including Indigenous and Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

Other priorities include ensuring safety and well-being for all research contributors, particularly those from historically marginalized groups, and developing more effective science communication that reaches diverse audiences through culturally appropriate channels.

“It provided an incredible opportunity to be involved in something international and wider than our own usual little research bubble,” said one participant who provided anonymous feedback. “It created a network of super passionate and keen early-career researchers who are committed to long-term involvement in polar research initiatives… [and] inspired me and made me realise that the polar research space is a community I love and hope I can continue being a part of going forward…”

The timing of PECWS was particularly significant given the upcoming IPY-5. The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), which co-organized the summit, was founded during the previous International Polar Year in 2007-2008. This creates an unprecedented opportunity for early-career voices to influence the planning of a major international research initiative from the beginning.

The synthesis report emphasizes that integrating these priorities into IPY-5 planning and broader polar research will require intentional work from the entire polar community, not just early-career researchers.

“As an early career researcher, it feels like IPY-5 is especially important, since it falls during the middle of my career. Being able to contribute to recommendations is empowering, especially doing it with polar early career researchers from all over the world, and from a diversity of scientific fields and backgrounds,” shared Haycock-Chavez.  

Participants consistently described PECWS as "engaging," "inspiring," and "empowering" — the three most frequently used words in post-summit feedback. Many emphasized the value of having a collective voice for the early career community and the importance of building relationships across disciplines and geographic boundaries.

Still, the report’s authors acknowledge the opportunity for broader engagement. They've opened the synthesis report for individual endorsements through fall 2026, allowing the broader polar community to show support for the priorities identified.  Submit your endorsement. 

PSECCO and APECS plan to continue advocating for these priorities and be at the table as the polar community prepares for IPY-5 and other major initiatives. Read the entire report.