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The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS)

APECS is a new network for early career cryosphere scientists and engineers. APECS aims to bring together early career scientists from around the world, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and starting professors, who share an interest in the polar regions and the cryosphere as a whole. The network's mission is to raise the profile of polar scientists by providing a continuum of leadership that is both international and interdisciplinary in focus.

Because of increasing concern about climate and the escalating changes in polar regions and the cryosphere, it is imperative that young scientists and engineers develop collaborations with international counterparts as well as researchers in other disciplines to address questions facing these regions. APECS is an IPY-endorsed project that seeks to unite early career researchers to develop collaborations that will last beyond IPY.

The interactive APECS website serves as the main contact point for APECS members and provides a forum to share news, connect with other polar researchers, and find jobs and events that might be of interest. Membership in APECS is open to all early career scientists interested in natural and social sciences of polar regions, from undergraduates through assistant professors or equivalent for non-academic positions. Participation by engineers and those interested in the cryosphere in general is also being sought. Senior scientists are encouraged to register on the APECS website and serve as mentors for the organization and post job openings and events at their institutions. APECS will be sponsoring several early career gatherings at events and major research conferences around the world during IPY.

On July 8, SCAR and IASC (International Arctic Science Committee) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with APECS through which SCAR and IASC agree to co-sponsor APECS and foster the development of early career polar scientists.

APECS President Kriss Iversen with Presidents of IASC and SCAR OSC Press Conference, including President of APECS
Kriss Iversen (President of APECS) at the signing ceremony with the Presidents of IASC (Kristjan Kristjansson) at left and SCAR (Chris Rapley) at right, during the opening ceremony for the SCAR-IASC Open Science Conference in St Petersburg, Russia - 8 July 2008 President of APECS, Kriss Iversen, at the Press Conference for the SCAR-IASC open Science Conference. Others, left to right, Khotso Mokhele (ICSU Vice President), Ed Sarukhanian (WMO), Kristjan Kristjansson (IASC), Chris Rapley (SCAR), Artur Chilingarov (Russian Duma), Vladimir Kotlyakov (Local Organising Committee), Ian Allison (IPY Joint Committee Co-Chair), Kriss Iversen, and Irina Gorodetskaya (APECS).

For further information, please contact: Jenny Baeseman, APECS Director. Tel: +1-907-687-5168 E-mail: jbaeseman@gmail.com