The NNA-CO is developing a comprehensive synthesis report that documents and assesses the breadth, impact, and lessons learned from the Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) initiative. Launched in 2017 as one of NSF’s 10 Big Ideas, NNA has invested in over 110 research projects, representing a significant investment in convergence research addressing rapid Arctic change and its implications for ecosystems, Arctic communities, and global systems.
This report will bring together available information on the NNA initiative and its funded projects, direct contributions from project teams, and results from evaluative activities. It will serve as a comprehensive account of the NNA initiative by providing details about:
- Scope and scale of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)’s investment
- Scientific, societal, and policy-relevant outcomes of NNA-funded projects Project-related datasets, models, and tools
- Case studies of knowledge co-production and convergence research
- Cross-cutting lessons on Arctic community engagement and partnerships, education and outreach, and open science approaches
- Legacies of NNA, impacts on the broader Arctic research community, and recommendations for future investment and practice
The evaluation activities (conducted according to IRB protocols) are engaging those involved in NNA through a survey, interviews, and focus groups. The evaluations aims to answer the following types of questions:
- What and who did NNA fund?
- What societal challenges did NNA address and did projects identify useful solutions?
- How was co-production practiced under NNA and how did it evolve?
- How was convergence practiced under NNA and how did it evolve?
- How did NNA support students and early career researchers?
- How did NNA build “community”?
- How did NNA mobilize knowledge and what audiences were reached?
- What are the legacies of NNA?
Timeline: The NNA-CO team plans to release the final NNA Synthesis and Evaluation Report in late 2027.