The Polar Technology Conference (PTC) brings together polar scientists, technology developers, and field technicians from academia, state and federal agencies, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. This interdisciplinary space provides an opportunity for technical and theoretical exchange on challenges impeding polar research and field operations. Community input is crucial to ensure that technological infrastructure investments are efficient, satisfy science drivers, and meet field requirements. The conference will address approaches to working and studying in the polar regions, including: terrestrial, marine, atmospheric, and social science disciplines; autonomous instrumentation; observation platforms; and all levels of logistical support.
The conference aims to:
- Identify and define priorities using bottom-up community feedback to enhance polar science through technological advances
- Scope out areas where research and development (R&D) projects could deliver new technology to meet scientific or logistical user needs and identify where new technology would benefit from field trial
- Increase awareness of current funding calls appropriate for technical or R&D projects and provide input to funding agencies on effective support of technology-related projects for polar research
- Build on past PTCs to create a community of practice for future dialogue between the users, manufacturers, and developers of technology used in polar research
The format of the conference will consist of structured keynote speeches followed by related presentations with interspersed panel and poster sessions. Other alternative approaches for information delivery and sharing are also under consideration. The forthcoming call for abstracts will seek talks or posters that address one of the below listed science topics:
- Science Drivers: Key research needs and critical tools for improving observations and monitoring from multiple domains of polar science with an emphasis on system requirement
- Power Systems: Transmission, storage, alternative energy generation
- Instrumentation: Advances in instrumentation across all types of platforms and access
- Communications: satellites, data-transmission-limited environments, telemetry
- Data Access and Sharing: Technologies to access resources typical in more connected areas, such as information technologies, data in the cloud, distributed data resources, and processing technologies
- Overarching and Integrative Technology: large-scale projects that span multiple technologies including logistics and infrastructure projects
The National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs also has a long-standing interest in capacity-building, training, international cooperation, leveraging existing resources/infrastructure, enhancing polar field operations, and engaging local and Indigenous Arctic residents and holders of Traditional Knowledge.
Abstract submission has been extended to 7 February 2020, 5:00 p.m. Alaska time. Presenting authors of submitted abstracts will be given priority registration until 24 January 2020 due to limited capacity of this meeting.