Research office

Our research office is responsible for coordinating research efforts at Ilisimatusarfik - and assisting our researchers as much as possible.

In addition, the research office also works with:

• Fundraising and grants for research projects
• PhD School
• Our visiting scholar program

Since 2001, Ilisimatusarfik has had the possibility to offer the 3 year PhD programme within the areas of:

• Arctic studies - pedagogy and educational science
• Arctic studies – health- and social studies
• Arctic studies – culture, language and social studies

As part of promoting the PhD programme at Ilisimatusarfik, a network for current and future PhD students has been established, where they can exchange professional as well as informal knowledge prior to and during the PhD programme.

The network is open for employees and students at master level, and future and potential PhD students at Ilisimatusarfik are welcome.

Read more about the PhD school at Ilisimatusarfik.

Visiting scholar: a non-salaried researcher from another institution who visits Ilisimatusarfik to research or participate in research pertaining to Greenland or the Arctic

Ilisimatusarfik - University of Greenland - is happy to welcome international researchers in Ilisimatusarfiks fields of research.

There is, however, an expectation that visiting scholars at Ilisimatusarfik contribute to Ilisimatusarfik, by disseminating their knowledge and research to the benefit of either students and researchers at Ilisimatusarfik or Greenlandic society.

Visiting scholars are therefore expected to participate in knowledge-disseminating activities, be part of a research project connected to Ilisimatusarfik, or pay a bench fee to be acknowledged as visiting scholars at Ilisimatusarfik.

Read more about Ilisimatusarfik's Visiting scholar program.

If you wish to engage in research collaboration with Ilisimatusarfik as an external researcher or non-employed researcher (including adjunct researchers and emeritus / emerita), here are some relevant considerations you should take into account before reaching out.

Ilisimatusarfik emphasizes two overarching considerations that determine whether we wish to engage in research collaboration. Research collaboration should be anchored at Ilisimatusarfik and contribute to capacity building.

Anchored at Ilisimatusarfik

• As a general rule, Ilisimatusarfik only participates in research collaboration where we have had influence on project formulation, i.e., where there is no risk of Ilisimatusarfik / Greenland being merely added as a "token" partner.
• If Ilisimatusarfik's researchers are contacted about research collaboration shortly before application deadlines, or because a partner is missing for an already formulated project, it is unlikely that Ilisimatusarfik will participate in the collaboration.

Contribute to capacity building

• As a general rule, Ilisimatusarfik does not engage in research collaboration unless an employed researcher is involved in this collaboration.
• If it is not possible to find a relevant, employed researcher within the necessary field of expertise, anchoring can be ensured, for example, through the inclusion in the project of a new PhD student or postdoc who is employed and enrolled at Ilisimatusarfik.
• If this is also not possible, student assistants from Ilisimatusarfik's student body may be attached to the project as a last alternative.

Furthermore, it is expected that research collaboration adheres to our current guidelines for overhead and research ethics.

Please contact the research office, if you have any questions about the guidelines or about research collaboration with Ilisimatusarfik.

You can also contact Arctic Hub at [email protected] if you have more general questions regarding research in Greenland or research collaboration with other Greenlandic institutions.

Ilisimatusarfik, together with NAPA (The Nordic Institute in Greenland), has taken over the administration of the Nordic Council of Ministers' Arctic Cooperation Program for the period 2022 - 2024.

The Arctic Cooperation Program aims to support individuals, organizations and actors in the interests of sustainable development in the Arctic - through innovative and sustainable projects that focus on solutions to current challenges facing the Arctic region.

Projects must be based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Nordic Council of Ministers' 2030 Vision and relate to the four Ps: Planet, People, Prosperity and Partnerships.

Each year, the programme allocates DKK 10 million to projects in, and for the benefit of, the Arctic - of which around DKK 7.5 million can be applied for as part of an open application round.

The deadline for applications is 15 February - read more and apply here.

The task of the committee on scientific ethics is to assess biomedical and health research projects planned to be carried out in Greenland.

Read more on their website (in Greenlandic and Danish).

You can contact our research office at [email protected].