Six UArctic projects launched with funding from the Kingdom of Denmark

Based on the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science 2025 UArctic Grant from the Kingdom of Denmark, six new UArctic projects are now launching. Together these projects cover themes ranging from biodiversity and crisis leadership to health, education, resource management, and water security, and as such they address a range of urgent challenges and opportunities in the Arctic. 

These projects were selected from a pool of nine applications, based on their strengths towards the UArctic values.

The projects run from 1st September 2025 and one or two years ahead.

Increased funding
This year sees an increase in funding from 1.5 to 3 million Danish Kroner and therefore also a launch of twice as many projects as in previous years, underlining the growing scope and ambition of UArctic activities in the Kingdom of Denmark.
For the first time, Ilisimatusarfik (University of Greenland) is serving as the national agency for UArctic in the Kingdom of Denmark, administering the grant and supporting the projects from their start.
“The launch of these six projects demonstrates the strength of collaboration across the Kingdom and the Arctic, and Ilisimatusarfik is happy to contribute to this vital work,” says Gitte Adler Reimer, rector at Ilisimatusarfik.
The six projects are now underway, bringing together researchers, students, and communities to strengthen knowledge, build capacity, and provide concrete insights for decision-makers across the Arctic.

ScaliFar – Scalidophora Workshop on the Faroe Islands
Institutions: University of Copenhagen: Natural History Museum Denmark, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Aarhus University, University of the Faroe Islands, BioFar, Faroe Islands National Museum, Institute of Oceanology, Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid

ScaliFar will combine research and teaching to advance understanding of Scalidophora biodiversity around the Faroe Islands. The project will train 10 students in sampling, systematics, ecology, and morphology while generating data for at least five scientific papers. Through its combined research workshop and PhD/MSc course in Tórshavn in the summer 2026, ScaliFar will also produce a taxonomic reference collection and deliver valuable insights into Arctic marine ecosystems.

Crisis Leadership in Arctic Response (CLEAR)
Institutions: University College Copenhagen,Nord University, Lapland University of Applied Science, Mid Sweden University

CLEAR will strengthen Arctic communities’ ability to respond to crises by combining research and practice. Through action-oriented simulations, the project will explore crisis leadership in tourism, maritime events, simulations, and local communities in collaboration with partners across the North. The project highlights the need for effective and context-sensitive crisis leadership in the rapidly changing Arctic.

Rural Education in the North (REN)
Institutions: : Leeds Becket University, University of the Faroe Islands, University of Iceland, University of Prince Edward Island, University of Lapland, University of Alaska Anchorage, Ilisimatusarfik – University of Greenland, UHI Orkney
REN will build on the UArctic Thematic Network for Teacher Education for Social Justice and Diversity, focusing on rural education across the North. By bringing together small-scale action research projects, the project addresses priorities such as multi-stage classes, Indigenous pedagogy, teacher retention, and linguistic diversity. Findings will be published in an edited book aimed at policymakers, practitioners, and academics working in rural education worldwide.

Heightening Engagement and Action for Arctic Collaborative Resource Management
Institutions: The Nordic Agency for Development and Ecology (NORDECO) Greenland Climate Research Centre, Hokkaido University, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Mongolia National University of Education, National Institute of Polar Research of Japan
This project will further develop UArctic’s Thematic Network on Collaborative Resource Management. By connecting Arctic and Mongolian resource users, managers, researchers, and students, the project will develop best practices for knowledge co-production in natural resource management. Key outcomes include strengthened capacity among managers and researchers, a portfolio of universal good practice steps, and stronger networks for inclusive management of living resources.

Arctic WASH Winter School and Online Course
Institutions: Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Université Laval, University of Alaska Anchorage, SINTEF, York University Toronto
Building on a 2023 summer school in Sisimiut, Greenland, this project will organize an Arctic WASH winter school in Nunavik, Canada. The program will train students, researchers, and practitioners to address water and sanitation challenges in northern and Indigenous communities. Alongside the school, the online Arctic WASH course will be expanded, and the network will co-develop a pan-Arctic review paper on drinking water, highlighting innovative approaches for climate adaptation and community resilience.

Strengthening Arctic Health Networks through Partnerships and Mentorship Program
Institutions: University of Southern Denmark, Ilisimatusarfik – University of Greenland, University of Oulu, Umeå University, Sámi University of Applied Sciences, Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre, University of Alberta, University of Alaska Anchorage, Institute for Circumpolar Health Research, International Union for Circumpolar Health, McMaster University, The Circumpolar Health Research Network, University of Toronto, Montana State University
This project builds on the UArctic-funded initiative Strengthening Circumpolar Network in Arctic Health Research through Mentorship, Education and Research Activities (2023–2025). Continued funding will ensure sustainability of strengthened partnerships and the further development of a mentorship program for early-career researchers. The initiative supports the Thematic Network on Health and Well-being in the Arctic, expanding collaboration and dialogue on how to sustain and promote health in Arctic communities.