It’s that time of year when the Antarctic policymaking community draws breath after the annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) comes to a close. There is a short pause for reflection before gearing up for intersessional work or preparing for the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) annual meeting. The same can be said for the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) upon conclusion of the Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW), an annual gathering of prominent Arctic research organizations.
Opportunities for early-career researchers, and even mid-career or senior researchers, to be involved in the work of IASC, CCAMLR and the ATCM are limited, and the pathways to doing so are often murky (though see Hughes et al. (Reference Hughes, Lowther, Gilbert, Waluda and Lee2023) for an Antarctic beginner’s guide). Yet, providing such opportunities is essential for ensuring that the next generation of polar researchers are equipped to contribute to these important science and policy fora and that the collective science-policy knowledge of the community continues to grow. This is ever more crucial and urgent today given the increasing impacts of climate change on the poles. For the Antarctic Treaty in particular, integrating the best available science into decisions is part of its mandate.
For these reasons, both IASC and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) have established fellowship schemes that allow early-career researchers to have not only a window into the science-policy world but a seat at the table and the opportunity to directly engage. The IASC Fellowship Programme was established in 2014 and selects six to eight Fellows each year to engage in the work of the IASC Working Groups and to support their attendance at ASSW (IASC 2026). Through SCAR, Ant-ICON (the current SCAR Scientific Research Programme focused on biodiversity conservation; Hughes et al. Reference Hughes, Santos, Caccavo, Chignell, Gardiner and Gilbert2022) and the Standing Committee on the Antarctic Treaty System (SC-ATS) have established a joint Science-Policy Fellowship Scheme (SCAR 2026), which supports one early- or mid-career researcher (EMCR) to prepare for and attend the ATCM and one other EMCR to prepare for and attend the Scientific Committee of CCAMLR, both as members of the SCAR Delegation.
The IASC Fellowship Programme applications are reviewed in a process coordinated by the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), with reviewers looking for clear links to the intended Working Group and motivation for contributing to IASC’s mission. SC-ATS and Ant-ICON seek Fellows with little prior policy experience and recent research that is published or soon to be published, is relevant to the ATCM, CCAMLR or the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) and is suitable to form the foundation of a policy paper.
Below, highlighting the value of these opportunities, Charlotte Walshaw and Mariel Kieval share their personal experiences and reflections as SCAR and IASC Fellows, respectively.
Ant-ICON/SC-ATS Science-Policy Fellowship - Charlotte Walshaw
The 2025 SCAR Ant-ICON/SC-ATS Science-Policy Fellowship provided me with a rare opportunity to experience how scientific research is translated into environmental policy through the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS). As an early-career researcher (final-year PhD student) working on continent-scale mapping of Antarctic terrestrial vegetation, participating in the 27th meeting of the CEP and the 47th ATCM in Milan, Italy, gave me insight into how scientific data inform decision-making and how my research can contribute to Antarctic conservation.
During the meeting of the CEP, I presented Information Paper 147, ‘Informing the Systematic Protection of Antarctic Terrestrial Vegetation’ (SCAR 2025), based on my doctoral research. Preparing this paper required distilling continental-scale datasets into clear, policy-relevant messages, which I was guided through with the support of SCAR mentors. Through this process, I learnt about science-policy communication and the importance of framing scientific findings in a form and a language that support decision-making. Another really valuable aspect of the fellowship was the opportunity to engage directly in the CEP environment. It was informative to observe discussions on proposals for Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) designations and to see how they are formulated and aligned with the Environmental Protocol. This also emphasized to me how sustained international collaboration is vital for addressing long-term environmental challenges such as climate change and biodiversity conservation.
Equally significant was the sense of community and support provided through the SCAR Delegation. The Fellowship creates a welcoming environment that empowers EMCRs to contribute meaningfully while learning about the procedural and diplomatic workings of Antarctic governance. The mentorship and participation helped demystify many of the complex policy processes and demonstrated to me that EMCRs can play a valuable role in international fora.
As an early-career researcher with no prior experience in Antarctic policy fora, the SCAR Science-Policy Fellowship provided me with opportunities and lessons that would have been difficult to obtain elsewhere. I believe experiences such as these are essential for building the next generation of scientists who can engage confidently at the science-policy interface. By creating pathways to participate in Antarctic governance, fellowships such as this help ensure that the outcomes of scientific research are effectively utilized to support future conservation in Antarctica.
IASC Fellowship, Social and Human Working Group - Mariel Kieval
In March 2026, I had the opportunity to attend the ASSW in Aarhus, Denmark, as an IASC Fellow. My fellowship is a 3 year appointment within the Social and Human Working Group (WG) of IASC and is intended to provide opportunities to participate in high-level science governance. Unlike traditional grants that require specific outputs, this fellowship is highly flexible, enabling Fellows to shape the position according to their interests and skills. In addition to providing financial support for attendance at two consecutive ASSWs, the fellowship offers a seat at the table where governance and science intersect.
During my tenure, I will participate in WG activities, from attending the open and closed meetings during ASSW, through evaluating project proposals to determine funding, to connecting with delegates from a variety of institutions and countries. The Fellowship isn’t yet fully mapped out, and I am still in my first 6 months, finding my way towards a meaningful contribution. So far, I have started an internal newsletter to help the WG stay better connected, which has enabled me to get to know the Delegates more individually. When the WG was asked to designate two members to serve on a scientific steering committee for the next ASSW in Hakodate, Japan, I volunteered to be an early-career representative in order to gain exposure to the negotiations that decide what topics merit discussion at the meetings and subsequent science conference. (In 2027, the ASSW will incorporate the 9th International Symposium on Arctic Research.)
Perhaps most importantly, I now have a network across disciplines with the other 2026 Fellows (who contribute to the cryosphere, atmospheric, terrestrial and marine WGs) and have joined a network of alumni IASC Fellows and those currently serving their 3 year terms.
So far, for me, this early-career fellowship has been an exercise in agency as I build new connections, navigate multi-disciplinary research governance and find creative ways to make the most of this opportunity, all while supported by IASC’s trust that we early-career Fellows can define our own contributions and use this time well.
Final thoughts
These fellowships, while only two out of many early-career opportunities available, are unusual in that they facilitate gaining experience within the polar science and policy communities at a high level, providing exposure to scholars and decision-makers outside of one’s usual academic community. For implementors, the chance to mentor an early-career researcher can be meaningful and an opportune way to share experience and expertise with the next generation of polar researchers while perhaps being encouraged to look at things from a fresh perspective. For the Fellows themselves, such opportunities can bring exposure, responsibility and the first steps on a road towards shaping the future of polar science and policy.
Competing interests
The authors declare none.
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