As part of this work, the Secretariat is now launching both a call for nominations to an interim planning committee and the first national planning workshop for the Swedish polar research community.

Call for nominations: IPY V Sweden Planning Committee

The fifth International Polar Year (IPY‑V) is currently under development and is planned to take place in 2032–2033. The Secretariat has received a governmental mandate to carry out an initial national scoping of interests during 2026, as input to the planning of the Swedish IPY-5 process.

In parallel, international IPY planning is underway, with expectations that national committees will be established to support implementation, coordinate local and national contributions, and to connect these to the international planning framework.

The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat therefore invites nominations of active scientists and other professionals engaged in polar research, research infrastructure, planning, management, or environmental monitoring to form the Swedish IPY Interim Committee.

The Planning Committee will provide advice and support during the early phases of national IPY V planning. At the same time, it will work towards establishing a strong and clear national mandate for its work and contribute to setting national priorities for the planning and implementation of IPY V. Therefore, the composition and responsibilities of the committee may need to evolve as planning and implementation progress.

Nominations are open until 21 May. Self‑nominations are welcome, as are nominations of others, provided that the nominee has been consulted and has agreed to be nominated.

Committee members are expected to represent their field of expertise rather than formally represent their organisation at this stage.

The composition of the Interim Committee will be decided by the Secretariat, based on advice from the Swedish Research Council and Formas, with due consideration given to balance across areas of expertise and institutional affiliations and gender.

Selected members are expected to actively and consistently participate in committee meetings, prioritise committee work, and engage proactively in IPY‑related activities within their research community, organisations, funding bodies, and other relevant stakeholder groups. Committee meetings will primarily be held online. Participation in the committee is voluntary and no financial compensation will be provided. During the early phases, committee meetings are expected to be held every one to two months.

Nomination deadline: 21 May 2026