Meet the CWGs
The NNA-CO is supporting three Convergence Working Groups. Each group is co-led by a combination of Experienced Co-Lead (ECL) and Early Career Fellow (ECF) members. These groups are working under three community-identified themes.
Group Co-leads
Vera Kuklina (ECL)
George Washington Univ
Hannah Bradley (ECF)
Univ of Virginia
Alyssa Pantaleo (ECF)
Dartmouth College
Group Co-leads
Mary Beth Jager (ECL)
Univ of Arizona
Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon (ECL)
Child Trends
Dylan Blaskey (ECF)
Univ of Colorado
Margaret Rudolf (ECF)
Univ of Alaska Fairbanks
Aurora Roth (ECF)
Scripps Inst of Oceanography
Group Co-leads
Howard Epstein (ECL)
Univ of Virginia
Casey Brayton (ECF)
Columbia Univ
Louise Mercer (ECF)
Northumbria Univ
Want to get involved?
During spring and early summer 2023, the co-leads for each CWG are working together to identify group members, who will then collaborate to plan the groups activities and outcomes. Group members are likely to meet virtually most of the time, but may also come together at the 2024 NNA-CO annual meeting or plan group workshops. Many CWG activities are possible and the members of each group will work together to plan and execute them.
Would you like to share your interest in participating as a Convergence Working Group member? Or perhaps you have other ideas for how you might like to interact with the Working Groups as their work continues? If so, please contact the group co-leads listed above directly.
CWG Simple Timeline
April-June 2023: Early Career Fellows and Experienced Co-leads work with NNA-CO and other NNA partners to finalize CWG membership
July 2023: CWG work officially begins with complete CWG membership
July-October 2023: Each CWG will:
Determine group goals, activities, timeline, and projected budget use
Coordinate with the NNA-CO on training plans for the CWG members
March 2024: Annual CWG report to NNA Annual Community Meeting
March 2025:
Experienced Co-lead work officially ends
Early Career Fellow work officially ends
June 2025: Wrap up for all CWG work
November 2025: CWGs together provide a final report to NNA Annual Community Meeting
Possible Products and Outcomes
Each CWG expects to engage in activities together over two years. The activities and outcomes for each CWG will be defined by the CWG membership in consultation with the NNA-CO. CWG activities and outcomes should be clearly defined by October 2023.
The NNA-CO is able to support a wide range of potential activities and outcomes. Each CWG has a set budget and is able to plan for efficient and effective use of funds. Each CWG is expected to have $5k/year for a community participant(s) fellowship and $5k/year for other activities. (These are doubled for the Fostering Indigenous-Led Research group).
Potential CWG activities include, but are not limited to:
Evaluate and document the work and process of the CWG as a case study for undertaking convergent discussions and activities.
Host community workshop(s).
Create shared data portals hosted by the Arctic Data Center.
Document best practices for convergence research.
Facilitate community-generated recommendations for undertaking work on the CWG theme.
Develop science policy briefs.
Create science storytelling or infographic products for Broader Impact.
Contribute to an anticipated special journal issue in 2024/25.
Facilitate information sharing and outcome dissemination across NNA projects.
In designing their activities, CWGs will be asked to consider: What legacy do we wish to leave with Arctic communities and with the broader NNA community as the outcomes of the CWG?