How to Apply - Fulbright Canadian Scholars Arctic Initiative

How to Apply

All applicants must complete and submit an online application.

The following materials comprise a complete Arctic Initiative application

1. Application form
2. Statement of purpose (three to five pages)
3. Bibliography (up to three pages)
4. Curriculum vitae (up to six pages)
5. Letters of recommendation (two)
6. Letter of invitation (recommended but not required)*

*All recommended Arctic Initiative candidates who are funded will be affiliated at sites appropriate for the proposed work.  In some cases, applicants will correspond with colleagues at institutions or research centers and, in effect, arrange their own placements.  Applicants are welcome to provide a letter of invitation from a potential host institution.  Scholars without proposed affiliations can be assisted by Arctic Initiative Lead Scholars, IIE, or Fulbright Canada in finding appropriate hosts.

Selection Process

• Applications must be submitted on or before March 1, 2024.
• Fulbright Canada will conduct a preliminary review and will nominate candidates for consideration by the Arctic Initiative review committee.
• Shortlisted nominated candidates will be invited to submit a video recording in April 2024.
• The Arctic Initiative review committee will consider all nominated applications from all countries and produce a final list of recommended candidates.
• Candidates recommended for an award by the Arctic Initiative review committee must be approved by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB).
• Candidates will be notified of their application status in May 2024. 

Policy-Relevant Research Questions

Applicants will select one of the three thematic areas below within the application. Explain how your individual research and plans for your individual exchange visit will fit into an interdisciplinary investigation in the chosen thematic group and convey your capacity and skills to work collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team. 

The questions posed below suggest the range of topics and disciplines that could be applied to address the Arctic’s shared challenges and the thematic group topics. FAI IV seeks scholars who propose innovative and creative scientific, cultural, applied, and artistic approaches to activate a diverse multidimensional framework to generate security in the Arctic. Thus, the topics and disciplines are not meant to limit or direct, but rather to stimulate the proposed research and interdisciplinary collaboration of scholars interested in the Fulbright Arctic Initiative.

For more information, please visit: https://fulbrightscholars.org/arctic.

• Theme #1: Climate Change and Arctic Resources 
  • Given the impact of climate change and increase in extractive industries in the Arctic, there is a need to understand how climate change affects access to and use of Arctic resources. Further, geopolitics in the Arctic and local Arctic governance structures influence decision making about resources in Arctic communities. The rich natural resources of the Arctic are the basis for livelihoods in the Arctic. At the same time, the Arctic region has considerable potential for economic development in connection with the global green transition. Policy-relevant research questions on this theme could address questions such as:
    1. How could resources from the Arctic be pivotal in driving innovation and maintaining global economic competitiveness? Critical raw minerals play a vital role in powering modern technologies, such as wind turbines, electric vehicles, advanced electronics, and defense technologies.
    2. The Arctic region has a long history of “extractivism” which is entangled with colonialism and struggles over rights and resources. What can be learned from these historical and contemporary encounters of northern Indigenous communities with large-scale resource developments?
    3. How can a green transition be just and how can local communities benefit from a green transition today? Could this development target the energy dependencies in the Arctic region? In other words, how can the Arctic become less fossil-fuel dependent and what could be the appropriate policy instruments to both support a green transition and climate action in a long-term perspective?
    4. What are strategies for engaging communities and developing community-centered practices for sustainable resource development that also address issues of climate change relevant for sustainable livelihoods in the Arctic?
    5. What role do the following play in the intersection of climate change, extractive industries, and sustainability: permafrost melt, water and air quality, environmental contaminants and hazards, and/or natural/manmade disasters such as wildfires, oil spills, and mining accidents play? Furthermore, how can innovative research models that prioritize co-production of knowledge, partnerships, and collaborations address this complex intersection?
• Theme #2: Arctic Security and Governance
  • The Arctic region benefits from innovative models of bilateral and multi-lateral international cooperation. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in addition to the present threat of climate change, bring urgency to further developing and strengthening Arctic governance structures and multifaceted partnerships that support Arctic security and attend to the geopolitics of the Arctic Region. Further, Arctic security comes in multiple forms, including human security, environmental security, energy security, and the security of Indigenous peoples of the Arctic and their traditional cultures and livelihoods. The concept of Arctic security becomes more nuanced, complex, and precarious with political conflicts in the Arctic region. Public diplomacy plays an important role in activating diverse stakeholders on Arctic security issues and can contribute to honoring Indigenous sovereignty and diplomatic dynamics in Arctic politics, particularly as it relates to concepts of Indigenous sovereignty in the Arctic. Policy-relevant research on this theme could address questions such as:
    1. How will Arctic nations, inter-governmental organizations like the Arctic Council, and communities navigate the current unfolding events? Can new security actors be identified in the years to come?
    2. How can we conceptualize, discuss, and promote Arctic security?
    3. What is the construction of security in contemporary Arctic politics and how can community-based experience and resources be integrated in security policies? 
    4. What could be the pathways and models for regional-local cooperation and partnership?
    5. What are strategies to develop capabilities for expanded Arctic activity that promote the multidimensional components of what security signifies to Arctic communities?
    6. How can stability and constructive cooperation be promoted in the Arctic region between the Arctic nations and within individual Arctic countries?
    7. How can we advance our understanding of the role of shipping as the Sea Route becomes more economically important?
    8. More cruise tourism and the evolving economic importance of the new Sea Route push for a better understanding of Arctic marine operations. Thus, what are the Arctic shipping emissions inventories and future scenarios for growth of shipping in the region?
    9. What can be learned from historical encounters when thinking about security in the Arctic?
    10. What is the evolving nature of sovereignty in the Arctic and related securitizing moves?
    11. What are the rights of Indigenous peoples in Arctic policymaking with regard to security? 
    12. How do the impacts of climate change on Arctic communities, lifestyles and livelihoods influence security in the Arctic and what are ways to mitigate these impacts? 
• Theme #3: Mental Health and Well-Being
  • The mental health and well-being of Arctic citizens are impacted by the consequences of Arctic security, development, and climate change on individuals, families, and communities. Furthermore, the daily stress of changes in livelihood, the impacts of climate change, colonialization on traditional life pathways, economic and educational pressures, out-migration to larger cities, and increasing geopolitical tensions in the region influence mental health and well-being in the Arctic. Arctic communities are grounded in diverse Indigenous and local traditions, values, and beliefs, and languages that foster family, kinship, sharing, consensus building, and community connectedness. In addition, vibrant natural environments and rich ecosystems continue to promote thriving Arctic communities. These cultural and environmental elements also influence mental health and well-being in the Arctic. Policy-relevant research questions on this theme could address questions such as:
    1. What are specific indications of how the intersection of cultural, social, environmental and political security concerns of the Arctic, intertwine with the impacts of climate change in the region, and impact mental health and well-being? 
    2. How can community practices, perspectives, and priorities be integrated into mental health prevention and treatment that promotes human well-being? 
    3. How can families, schools, and agencies be engaged in promoting positive mental health and well-being in their communities? 
    4. What multi-level intervention designs, frameworks, and methods might address the complex interconnectedness of mental health and well-being in diverse Arctic populations?
    5. How can land-based healing practices be promoted and integrated into mental health and well-being in the Arctic? 
    6. What strategies or steps can be taken to incorporate the natural and/or built environment to support mental health and well-being in Arctic communities?
    7. How can the cumulative effects of multiple risks be assessed and analyzed in the Arctic in a way that brings together the medical, social, natural and physical sciences and humanities to improve the mental health and well-being of people living in the Arctic? 
    8. What are innovative approaches to mental health and well-being that include youth, families, elders, communities, and policy makers

 

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