The fourth iteration of the Fulbright Artic Initiative (FAI IV) will address key research and policy questions on climate change, energy transition, health and wellness, and the building of thriving economies for Indigenous and local communities in the Artic region.  

Over the course of the 18-month program, Fulbright Arctic Initiative Scholars will work across disciplines to translate theory into practice through collaborative group work, community engagement, and in-person summit meetings.

The collaborative work of the FAI IV cohort will be led by two scholars with extensive experience in the Arctic: Dr. Elizabeth Rink, Professor of Community Health in the Department of Health and Human Development at Montana State University, and Dr. Lill Rastad Bjørst, Associate Professor of Arctic Studies in the Department of Culture and Learning at Aalborg University. Both participated in previous Fulbright Arctic Initiative cohorts.

The three previous cohorts of the Fulbright Arctic Initiative have already made an impact on local and global communities with knowledge gained from their research and shared through articles, special editions of journals, and collaborative briefs to inform regional policymakers.

In April 2023, the 19 Arctic scholars from the third FAI cohort held a series of “Fulbright Arctic Week” events with policymakers and the public in Washington, D.C. The FAI Scholars outlined their recommendations for promoting sustainability and peace in the Arctic based on two years of research in the areas of security, infrastructure, and health.

“The future of the Arctic as a peaceful, stable, sustainable, and prosperous region depends in part on the valuable research and cross connections facilitated by the Fulbright Arctic Initiative,” said the U.S. Senior Arctic Official Eric Carlson.  “My team and I place great value in the efforts of the Fulbright Arctic Initiative scholars – their research and recommendations directly advance work addressing critical issues in the region.”

The application to participate in FAI IV is available now through March 1, 2024; the program will run from fall 2024 to spring 2026. The program is open to professionals, practitioners, and researchers from the United States, Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark including Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden.

Approximately 19 outstanding scholars will be selected through an open, merit-based competition.  Full eligibility criteria and application details are available, and scholars can apply online via the Fulbright Arctic Initiative website: www.fulbrightscholars.org/arctic.

Prospective applicants, scholarship advisors, and Fulbright Scholar Liaisons are invited to learn more about FAI IV at a webinar on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 11:00am ET. Register for Fulbright Arctic Initiative IV- Prospective Applicant Webinar.