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Awards

ALI funds two kinds of awards: Ambassador Travel and Residency Awards, which help anyone at 91������Ƶ represent the university at Arctic venues, and Arctic Engagement Awards, which fund projects that expand 91������Ƶ’s Arctic engagement and visibility.

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Ambassador Travel and Residency Awards ✈️

Funding for everyone at 91������Ƶ, from students, postdocs, and research staff to faculty at any rank, to represent the University of Alaska at national and international Arctic venues: invited talks, residencies, academic exchanges, visiting appointments, and fieldwork with a public-facing side.

What the awards are for

These awards fund active ambassadorship, which means more than attending. Recipients present 91������Ƶ’s Arctic research and Alaska’s perspective to audiences outside the university and build partnerships that outlast the trip. Among proposals that make that case well, priority goes to those that also advance the applicant’s own professional development.

Amounts and what they cover

• Individual awards of $1,000 to $5,000.
• Up to $10,000 for exceptional residencies, high-profile invited appointments, or flagship international Arctic convenings.
• Travel, registration, lodging, and related costs, including engagements of one to eight weeks in Alaska or elsewhere in the Arctic and Northern world.

Who can apply

Anyone at 91������Ƶ can apply: faculty at any rank, research and other staff, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students. Proposals are judged on merit, not on position or career stage, and past awards have gone to graduate students and research staff as well as faculty. Applicants outside 91������Ƶ are eligible if they make a clear case for benefit to the 91������Ƶ system.

Examples of eligible opportunities

• Residencies or fellowships at Arctic and Northern studies centers, such as the Wilson Center, the Belfer Center, 91������Ƶrctic programs, or the Churchill Northern Studies Centre
• Invited presentations at the Arctic Circle Assembly, Arctic Frontiers, the AGU Annual Meeting, and similar venues
• Academic exchanges with partner universities, think tanks, or Indigenous governance institutes
• Visiting appointments of one to eight weeks with federal or international agencies working on Arctic policy, energy, or climate adaptation
• Creative and interdisciplinary residencies
• Fieldwork that involves a partner organization or has a clear public-facing component, such as school visits, community presentations, or a public blog

How to apply

Email one PDF to ua-ali-info@alaska.edu containing:

• A 1-2 page proposal: abstract, background, objectives, and timeline, answering why this destination, why now, and why you
• CV or résumé (portfolio for creative applicants)
• Letter of support from a 91������Ƶ supervisor (required)
• Letter of invitation from the host, when there is one, or other evidence of engagement such as an abstract acceptance or a session-organizing role
• Budget justification, noting any other funding sources
• Proposed itinerary with dates and scheduled events
• A short conflict of interest disclosure, or a statement that none exists

ALI leadership reviews proposals three times a year. Funds move through 91������Ƶ travel processes, and recipients can charge allowable costs directly in Concur. Within eight weeks of returning, recipients share a brief reflection, presentation, or report.

Recipients

Round 2, fall 2026: Chase Thompson and Molly Minick, IAMRI, Qingdao; Emily Lescak, Beyond Arctic PASSION; Adam Militello, IPTRN, Nuuk.

Round 1, spring 2026: Pascal Buri and Magnus de Witt, 91������Ƶrctic Congress, Faroe Islands; Brandon Boylan, Arctic Encounter and the 91������Ƶrctic Congress; Katie Craney, residency at the Centre for the North, University of Aberdeen.

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Arctic Engagement Awards

The Arctic Engagement Awards provide funding support for innovative faculty-led programs, research, and other efforts that expand the University of Alaska’s Arctic engagement and visibility. Supported projects strengthen the impact of 91������Ƶ’s Arctic activities, elevate 91������Ƶ’s competitive position, and foster new partnerships across communities, disciplines, and sectors.

Awards support work that is interdisciplinary, community-connected, and responsive to the complex realities of a rapidly changing Arctic.

2026-27 Arctic Engagement Award Recipients

Four projects have been selected for 2026-27 Arctic Engagement Awards, supporting work that connects University of Alaska research to communities, policy, and circumpolar networks.

Rebecca Moorman (91������ƵA)

Developing Indigenous-led vocabulary for Alaska library catalog systems. The project advances Indigenous knowledge sovereignty in cataloging infrastructure and creates a model for culturally accurate metadata across 91������Ƶ library systems.

Donna Hauser (91������ƵF)

Activating Indigenous ocean observations into NOAA policy and classroom curricula. The project translates community-based marine observations into formal policy and educational pipelines, expanding the impact of Indigenous-led environmental monitoring.

Magnus de Witt (91������ƵF)

Building a geospatial framework to map Arctic renewable energy infrastructure risks. The project produces tools that help communities, agencies, and developers anticipate and mitigate environmental and operational risks for renewable energy assets in a changing Arctic.

Skylar Bayer (91������ƵS)

Partnering 91������ƵS students with KTOO journalists to report on 91������Ƶ Arctic science. The project pairs student researchers with public-media journalists to translate 91������Ƶ Arctic science for broader Alaska audiences.

Next Arctic Engagement Awards deadline: Monday, March 15, 2027. Questions: ua-ali-info@alaska.edu

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