JST to fund new Belmont Forum projects in the 2014 Collaborative Research Action
“Arctic Observing and Research for Sustainability”

Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) will commence support to 2 jointly selected projects in the “Arctic Observing and Research for Sustainability” 2014 Collaborative Research Action (CRA)^*1, within the framework of the Belmont Forum^*2 International Opportunities Fund. The projects selected for funding are as follows:

1. Resilience and adaptive capacity of arctic marine systems under a changing climate (RACArctic) to be led internationally by Sei-Ichi Saitoh, Hokkaido University, Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Professor, led in USA by Franz Mueter, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Associate Professor of Fisheries and led in Norway by Kenneth Drinkwater, Institute of Marine Research, Senior Research Scientist.

This collaborative research project aims to synthesize and understand changing climate and response of marine ecosystem in Pacific - Arctic Ocean - Atlantic through examining the similarity and the difference of marine systems among the Pan-Arctic (the Arctic Ocean and adjacent subarctic seas).

2. C budget of ecosystems and cities and villages on permafrost in eastern Russian Arctic (COPERA) to be led internationally by Atsuko Sugimoto, Hokkaido University, Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Professor, led in Russia by Prisyazhny Mikhail, North-Eastern Federal University, Vice Rector, Associate Professor and led in USA by Kenji Yoshikawa University of Alaska Fairbanks, Water and Environmental Research Center, Professor.

This collaborative research aims to pave a way to share the scientific information among scientists, local government and local people for choosing options for better lives of people. Carbon budget and emission from ecosystem and cities and villages on permafrost in east Russian Arctic will be estimated and useful information will be co-produced through the analyses with environment, population, and economic conditions.

There were a total of 46 proposals submitted in response to the call, which was jointly conducted by funding agencies from Belmont Forum participating countries, closing in July 2014. The proposals were evaluated by Panel of Experts nominated from the countries participating in the joint call, including Japan. Based on that evaluation, the participating funding agencies jointly decided on the projects to select for funding, considering the excellence of the research plan and expected effectiveness of the collaboration. Research funding to the projects will begin in April 2015 and will continue for periods from 3 to 5 years and total amount of budget is 63millionJPY.