About the Center
The International Arctic Research Center is housed in the Akasofu Building on the UAF Troth Yeddha’ Campus. UAF photo by Leif Van Cise.
The International Arctic Research Center (IARC) was founded in 1999 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks through an agreement between Japan and the United States with a focus on collaborative research. Now, IARC consists of over 100 scientists, analysts, students, and professional staff who focus on Arctic system science, climate change, and climate adaptation research. Their core values include conducting actionable research, promoting a deeper understanding of Arctic change, ensuring their work is grounded in place, and cultivating a welcoming, varied, creative, and collaborative environment.
Collaborating with IARC
The Arctic Data Center is proud to partner with IARC to advance Arctic data sharing and stewardship. IARC has long been a leader in collecting, managing, and synthesizing data that support understanding the rapidly changing Arctic. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to making Arctic research open, accessible, and usable, while supporting scientists, communities, and policymakers alike. Our history with IARC is vast and some of these collaborations are outlined here.
Research Networking Activities for Sustained Coordinated Observations of Arctic Change (RNA CoObs)
Organizers and participants of the 2024 “Equitable Information Portal Design for Mobilizing Salmon Data” workshop, hosted by members of the RNA CoObs team. Credit: Matt Jones.
A key component of this collaboration is the NSF-supported Research Networking Activities for Sustained Coordinated Observations (RNA CoObs) project. RNA CoObs focuses on improving coordination among Arctic observation networks to ensure that environmental measurements are consistent, high-quality, and widely usable. By identifying shared variables and aligning data collection across regions, the project helps scientists build a coherent picture of Arctic change. An important aspect of RNA CoObs is its emphasis on community priorities, including Indigenous Knowledge and food security, ensuring that observations are relevant not only for scientific research but also for local communities that rely on Arctic ecosystems. The Arctic Data Center supports this work by archiving RNA CoObs datasets, making them discoverable and reusable for researchers around the globe. In this way, the collaboration helps transform complex, multi-source observations into data that are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR). Members of the RNA CoObs and Arctic Data Center teams have worked together to develop and facilitate two workshops focused on conceptualizing a Pan-Pacific salmon knowledge portal to support improved integration of disparate datasets related to salmon, their environments and the people who depend on them. Read the first workshop report here.
Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning (SNAP)
Mike DeLue presenting SNAP work.
Another cornerstone of the collaboration is the Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning (SNAP) program. SNAP generates downscaled climate scenario datasets for Alaska and the broader Arctic region, including historical observations and future projections for temperature, precipitation, and other key climate variables. They also produce dynamic tools to make complex model outputs more accessible to programmers, decision-makers, and researchers. These tools and data allow resource managers, policymakers, and communities to anticipate and respond to environmental changes. By working with the Arctic Data Center to preserve and share SNAP data, IARC ensures that these valuable climate scenarios remain accessible, well-documented, and integrated into broader Arctic data ecosystems, extending their usefulness far beyond the original research team.
Long-Term Data Archiving
In 2020, datasets from the IARC data archive were migrated to the Arctic Data Center for long-term preservation, reinforcing the ongoing partnership between the two organizations and ensuring that critical Arctic data are protected and available for future generations of researchers. The Arctic Data Center also hosts the Arctic Report Card data portal. The Report Card has been issued annually since 2006 and provides information on the current state of the Arctic environmental system throughout time, often authored by experts from IARC. The portal is an interactive webpage that links to datasets used in the Arctic Report Card, increasing transparency and access of datasets. The latest Arctic Report Card was released in December 2025 and can be found here.
A Lasting Impact
Salmon jump in a stream. NPS photo by Russ Taylor.
Beyond these individual projects, the partnership between the Arctic Data Center and IARC demonstrates the power of linking research expertise with robust data stewardship. IARC’s long-standing history of field research and data generation, combined with the Arctic Data Center’s focus on preservation and discoverability, ensures that Arctic data are not only collected but also made meaningful for long-term science and decision-making. Through RNA CoObs, SNAP, and other ongoing collaborative efforts, the Arctic Data Center and IARC turn observations into insights and data into decisions, a model for how Arctic research can meet the challenges of a rapidly changing environment while supporting the communities that call the region home.
Written by Nicole Greco
Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator