We Cultivate Positive Change in the North

UArctic Foundation US supports UArctic’s inter-and multi-disciplinary projects that work across universities, borders, disciplines, and cultures. This diversity is our strength: it is our collaboration that creates stronger ideas, solutions, and answers than we would on our own. We are in the Arctic and of the Arctic. Our members are part of the life, people, and communities who face climate change. We believe that Arctic peoples must have a central role in defining the future of the region, with sufficient knowledge and capacity to do so. This is the most effective way to ensure sustainable development that mutually benefits and ensures a healthy and prosperous future for all of us.

Our Pillars

In 2025, UArctic adopted four focus areas that hold our work to a certain set of values in line with our mission. Projects are chosen based around their impact on these four areas, providing a structured and dynamic framework through which we can focus efforts on pressing issues such as climate tipping points or societal transitions.

Communities

Climate

Ocean

Green Transition

Our Projects

UArctic Entrepreneurship Fund

The UArctic Entrepreneurship Fund provides seed grants that support starting and scaling Arctic innovations. With support from Michael Carey, we host an annual application to boost projects through their incubator phases.

The call is open to any individual product or service that aims to benefit the Arctic environment or Arctic communities and has a positive, demonstrable impact. Our Entrepreneurship Fund projects have transformed into venture-backed companies, won awards, and taken on large scale climate and community situations, creating a healthier Arctic for all.

Learn more about supporting or applying for the UArctic Entrepreneurship Fund.

US Student Exchanges and Travel Funds

UArctic helps fund and coordinate US student exchanges between Arctic universities, bridging gaps in knowledge, culture, and research. Exchanges can benefit students through their professional and academic plans, providing fresh viewpoints, new experiences, and sharing information and skills across the North.

north2north Student Exchange

The north2north student mobility exchange allows students to visit other Arctic nations for a semester or more abroad at UArctic member universities for experiential learning, research, and more. With over 200 universities and institutes, UArctic helps coordinate international student exchanges for higher education across the globe, with a focus in the circumpolar north.

Conference Scholarships

Our mobility programs help students participate in conferences such as the Arctic Congress, Arctic Model Council, Arctic Encounters, and more. UArctic Foundation US is currently fundraising to send 50 students to the 2026 Arctic Congress, taking place from May 26-29 in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.

Because the US provides no federal funding for opportunities like this, we are currently fundraising 250,000 USD through private philanthropy and fundraising to provide travel opportunities for US students to take part in Arctic conference and educational events.

ClimateInterventions.org

The UArctic library of climate interventions is working to actively conserve the Earth’s cold regions.

The UArctic library of climate interventions is a regularly updated overview and assessment of climate projects that could slow down, halt, or even reverse the effects of climate change in the polar and northern regions. For each intervention in our library, systematic studies have been conducted to understand the proposed options and evaluate their potential environmental, social, and economic consequences. We invite you to explore the collection and follow the developments in this field.

Seabed Anchored Curtain

The UArctic Seabed Anchored Curtain Project is a non-profit, multi-national, collaborative effort that explores how specialized curtains anchored to the sea floor could inhibit warm ocean waters from causing glacial melt, such as with Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, also known as the Doomsday Glacier. The goal is to utilize peer-reviewed science, proven engineering, and an established governance structure to create a solution for the rising sea level, rather than tackle individual symptoms of the problem. This is a global solution that will especially support nations that cannot afford to mitigate the many intrusions of the rising sea level.

Learn more about the seabed curtain project.

Thematic Networks

UArctic Thematic Networks bring together leading experts in fields of Arctic study ranging from urban design to gender studies. These networks collaborate on projects to bring new knowledge and awareness of life in the north.

Paulsen Award

The Frederik Paulsen Arctic Academic Action Award (FP Award) recognizes scientific and academic initiatives that are action-oriented and hold potential for addressing the challenges and critical needs posed by climate change. The prize comes with a 100,000-euro unrestricted grant intended to help develop research ideas through outreach, engagement, and communication.

Lloyd’s Register Foundation Fellows Program

The Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF) Research Fellowships are a partnership between LRF and UArctic. The Fellowships support researchers using historical perspectives to address current safety challenges in the Arctic Ocean that impact Arctic communities. These research programs tackle changing Arctic Oceanic environments proactively, rather than responding to challenges after passing tipping points or climate thresholds.

Shared Voices

UArctic’s annual magazine, Shared Voices, highlights our activities and members alongside broader issues in the Circumpolar North. Articles are submitted by our members, Thematic Networks, and other partners, highlighting the many voices, challenges, and triumphs in the Arctic.