Alaska Component of Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic

Alaska Project Background

The decision to initiate planning for Alaska participation in the Survey of Living  Conditions in the Arctic was made by representatives of organizations representing Inupiat (Arctic Slope Native Association, Maniilaq, Kawerak, North Slope Borough, NANA Inc., Northwest Arctic Borough) in March 1998. 

These representatives agreed at that time to form the Alaska Native Management Board. The Alaska Native Science Commission also has a representative on the board.

The Alaska Native Management Board has final say on the content of the questionnaire in Alaska and procedures to ensure that the study benefits Inupiat, including comment on all research reports prior to submission for publication, and full involvement in the design, conduct and reporting of the study. The Alaska Native Management Board adopted a resolution supporting the project in April 1999. 

The ANMB and the University of Alaska collaborated on a $260,000 proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the design and testing components of the study in Alaska. The National Science Foundation announced the grant award in May.

We submitted a $2 million proposal in August 2000 for the field and analysis phases of the study to a national competition sponsored by NSF. Unfortunately we did not receive funding under this program.

On March 20, 2001, we submitted a $1.1 million proposal to the Arctic Social Sciences Program at NSF. We were fortunate to receive funding from NSF in response to this proposal.

The Alaska Native Management Board has actively directed the project since its inception. Most recently, the ANMB met to review preliminary analysis results and to make suggestions on further analyses. 

Project history in Alaska: