Polar Research Operations
Supporting NSF Funded Research in the Arctic
How We Help
The ARO helps research teams through:
- Research support staff who provide planning, common processes, and shared resources
- Efficient, effective, and safe protocols for conducting research
- Established laboratory facilities, equipment and sample storage, lodging, research vessels, local guides, remote communication equipment, snowmobiles, other vehicles, and more
Our experience working in remote locations, harsh weather conditions, and difficult terrain, makes Battelle an ideal contractor for enabling polar research through cost-effective field support and risk management.
Polar Metrics
117
Arctic field projects supported annually
588
Arctic researchers
198
research field sites
Program Locations
Battelle ARO provides logistics planning and support, remote camp equipment, permitting, safety training, outreach and more in the following locations:
- Alaska
- Greenland
- Arctic Ocean
- Canada
- Russia
- Fennoscandia (Finland, Norway, and Sweden)
Risk Management
Safe polar operations are the result of careful planning and evaluation, detailed preparation, and a solid understanding and application of risk management principles. The Battelle ARO Team embodies a strong culture of risk management, exercised through the development and implementation of project-specific, custom-tailored risk management plans, coupled with well-established safety programs and innovative tools designed to support safe operations
Field Safety Training:
Battelle ARO provides field training courses based on the needs of researchers. Such courses range from glacier travel to wilderness first-aid training and can also be tailored and customized to meet a team’s specific needs.
Indigenous and Local Engagement:
Battelle ARO coordinates activities with local communities so as not to disrupt their culture and subsistence. Across its programs, we emphasize engaging and educating locals about the science that Battelle is enabling in their communities and, when possible, employ locals and utilize local/regional resources. Cultural training for researchers who live and work in indigenous communities is also offered so that staff can better understand cultural differences.
Balancing Life, Climate and Nature
Focused on the Future of STEM
The next generation of STEM talent will be tasked with solving the world’s most pressing issues. Battelle is steadfast in its commitment to make STEM education accessible to as many students as possible and offers polar-based STEM programs to local regions and communities.
Polar-based STEM programs include:
- The Foundation for Glacier and Environmental Research
- Chugach School District (Building Environmental Literacy and the STEM Pipeline in Rural Alaska)
- Oregon TRIO Association (Engaging Students in Virtual Field Design in the Arctic)
- Alaska Resource Education (Advancing STEM Education Through Problem-Based Learning)
- Waynflete School (Waynflete’s Winter Snow and Ice Program)