International Polar Year 2007-2008
To facilitate the submission of arctic social science and humanities proposals to the International Council for Science (ICSU) for prospective endorsement as IPY projects, IASSA has launched an initiative to create a vigorous exchange of ideas, discussion, and active communication. The following was submitted to IASSA on its form at IASSA IPY Facilitation Initiative:

Florian Stammler, Piers Vitebsky, and J. Otto Habeck: ANTLER Network
Emails: fms36@cam.ac.uk, habeck@eth.mpg.de

Description:
ANTLER will provide a basis for research on the social significance of Rangifer (reindeer husbandry and caribou hunting). ANTLER is a research-network initiative directed to the International Polar Year (IPY) Joint Committee and to IPY national committees. ANTLER will provide support, methodological integration, data management and outreach facilities for project proposals submitted to national IPY committees. Successful proposals will carry the IPY Logo and the ANTLER Logo. These proposals share the same topic yet they may employ different methodologies. Scientists will conduct case-study research in many circumpolar regions where reindeer herding and/or caribou hunting take place. Their aim is to assess the current social, socio-economic and cultural significance of reindeer herding and caribou hunting “on the ground” in collaboration with regional and international non-governmental organisations in order to provide reliable and realistic information for future managem ent strategies. They will also compare and evaluate various methodologies in the field of Rangifer research and strategies for improved data management. ANTLER will contribute to a better understanding of an important human-animal relationship in the Arctic: on the one hand, through studying the social significance of Rangifer shaping human (subsistence and non subsistence) life in the Arctic; on the other hand, through examining the significance of human social, economic and political strategies (decisions) as they affect Rangifer populations, distribution and its position in the Arctic ecosystem. ANTLER addresses reindeer herding and caribou hunting as important elements in Arctic and sub-Arctic environments and economies. The International Polar Year provides a timely and excellent framework for this international initiative, which will also serve as basis for enhanced multidisciplinary research on Rangifer.

This Expression of Intent will be jointly submitted to the Finnish, British and German IPY Committees by three scientific institutions which have a pivotal position in Rangifer social research in the European Research Area: the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland (Finland), the Scott Polar Research Institute (United Kingdom) and the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology (Germany). The initiators have excellent connections to research institutions across the North, Arctic circumpolar communities and regional NGOs. A network secretariate will organise three international workshops and provide basic communication and dissemination facilities. The initiators shall apply to the European Science Foundation (through ESF’s Member Organisation DFG) for financial support for these central activities.

IPY 2007-2008 themes/targets that will be addressed by the project:
Theme 1 – The current state of the polar environment
Theme 6 – The human dimension in polar regions
Natural or social sciences research

Significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project:
ANTLER examines the human dimension and human-animal interactions of Rangifer in terms of both status and change (through careful inquiry, participant observation, and long-term involvement with Arctic communities). It will address IPY themes #1, #2 and #6 (see below: “additional information”). ANTLER implements IPY targets as follows:
- it serves as a platform and switchboard for social-sciences research on Rangifer and thereby facilitates co-operation with others;
- it strengthens the awareness for methodological and data management issues;
- it actively integrates Arctic communities’ representatives into research design and
- it puts emphasis on dissemination of research results (see below).

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Russian Federation (Murmansk, Komi, Nenetsia, Yamal, Taimyr, Evenkia, Tyva, Sakha- Yakutia, Magadan, Chukotka, Kamchatka, Sakhalin), USA (Alaska), Canada, UK (Scotland), Norway, Sweden, Finland

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities (mm/yyyy):
11/2006 to 10/2007 – main fieldwork period for participants in individual projects

Significant facilities that will be required for this project:
Co-ordination facilities: basic office equipment and telecom facilities for network secretariate will be required. For further details, see below, section on "management".

ANTLER participants will look into possibilities for the establishment of a World Data Centre “R” (Rangifer).

The proposal has been submitted to the German IPY Committee on 20 December 2004. It will also be submitted to the Finnish and British IPY Committees. A longer version of the ANTLER proposal is available on request.

ANTLER draws on the experience of previous international initiatives (see longer version of the ANTLER proposal, which is available on request).

How the project will be organised and managed:
ANTLER is a network of researchers who are committed to IPY targets and voluntarily support ANTLER principles concerning research design, ethical research, awareness of methodological and data management issues, and stakeholder participation. Ultimately, the power of decision stays with individual researchers as responsible scientists in their respective research projects. Centrally managed tasks and responsibilities are:
- the maintenance of a secretariat;
- a listserver, a website and other communication tools;
- the preparation and implementation of three workshops (in 2006, 2007 and 2008);
- and basic dissemination activities (research reports in Russian and English).

Initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues:
Representatives of local communities will be consulted before fieldwork starts. Research questions of individual projects will be informed by local needs and proposals. Preliminary results will be disseminated within and beyond reindeer-herding communities; responses will be integrated into the final report. Project summaries will facilitate the popularisation of ANTLER’s results.

Initial plans of the project to address data management issues:
The question of data formats, storage, management and protection will be discussed during the workshops. It is proposed to assess the potential for creating a World Data Centre “R” (as in Rangifer). Data should be made available in at least two languages: Russian and English, in order to enhance outreach and communication.

Initial plans for seeking financial support:
The initiators will apply to the European Science Foundation (through ESF’s Member Organisations) for financial support (secretariate, three workshops, communication and outreach facilities, effective dissemination).

Additional information:
ANTLER addresses IPY themes and research questions, in particular:
Theme #1: “What is the present status of economy, access to infrastructure, etc. of polar peoples, and how do these vary regionally and in time.”
Theme #2: “What are the socio-economic consequences of environmental changes in polar regions, and how do polar communities respond to and interact with change?”
Theme #6: “What research methodlogies are best suited to an interdisciplinary understanding of the fundamental links between ecosystems, economies and cultural diversity? How can polar residents become more instrumental? How can social sciences communicate this understanding to diverse audiences?”


Sincere thanks to the U.S. National Science Foundation for support for the IASSA IPY facilitation initiative.

Questions? Contact Anne Sudkamp at <fyiassa@uaf.edu>.

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 This page was last modified October 24, 2005 by Anne Sudkamp