(Established 1958)

Status

Non-governmental interdisciplinary sub-body of ICSU.

Mission

Initiation, promotion and coordination of scientific research in Antarctica and the provision of scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty System.

Activities

SCAR is the single international, interdisciplinary, non-governmental organisation which can draw on the experience and expertise of an international mix of scientists across the complete scientific spectrum. For over 30 years SCAR has provided scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty System, most of which has been incorporated into Antarctic Treaty instruments, especially those which provide protection for the ecology and environment of Antarctica.

The membership of SCAR comprises the National Committees of those national scientific academies or research councils which are the adhering bodies to ICSU and which are, or plan to be, active in Antarctic research, together with the relevant scientific Unions of ICSU. There are currently 27 Full Members, 7 ICSU Union Members and 6 Associate Members.

SCAR holds a biennial Delegates Meeting to conduct its administrative business where National and Union Delegates formulate policy and strategy, and determine financial budgets. Scientific business is conducted in the Working Groups and Groups of Specialists that report to the Delegates Meeting.

There are seven Permanent Working Groups on Biology, Geodesy and Geographic Information, Geosciences, Glaciology, Human Biology and Medicine, Physics and Chemistry of the Atmosphere, and Solar-Terrestrial and Astrophysical Research. These comprise nationally appointed representatives and they provide the international fora for discussing national plans, progress and achievements in that particular discipline. Free and open discussions allow national scientific programmes to be internationally coordinated and may lead to proposals for international programmes to be developed. Such proposals are then submitted to the next biennial SCAR Delegates Meeting.

There are currently five Groups of Specialists: Antarctic Neotectonics (ANTEC), Environmental Affairs and Conservation (GOSEAC), Global Change and the Antarctic (GLOCHANT), Seals, and Sub-glacial Antarctic Lake Exploration (SALE). These groups are created by SCAR in response to specific scientific problems and their members are appointed by SCAR for their experience and scientific expertise. A Group of Specialists may develop and coordinate a programme of research which national members of SCAR, as appropriate, will put into effect Some Groups of Specialists, such as the last two listed above, monitor a particular aspect and provide advice and make recommendations on a continuing basis, typically to the Antarctic Treaty System. SCAR and COMNAP (Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes) also have a Joint Committee on Antarctic Data Management, a vital activity for the scientific community.

SCAR is now planning major programmes in several fields, all of which are relevant to its principal programme of global change research in the Antarctic. This programme will also link with other international programmes such as IGBP and WCRP.

United Kingdom Interests

Lead Department

The Royal Society, 6 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG
Contact: Miss Ruth A Cooper.  International Section, Manager.
Telephone:+44 (0) 20 7839 5561  Email: Ruth.Cooper@royalsoc.ac.uk

The UK Permanent Delegate to Scar is Professor Chris G Rapley.
British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0) 1223 221524  Fax: +44 (0) 1223 362616  Email: c.rapley@bas.ac.uk

The UK Alternative Delegate to SCAR for 2002―2006 is Professor Julian Dowdeswell.
Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1ER, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)1223 336541  Fax: +44 (0)1223 336549  Email: jd16@cam.ac.uk

Other Interested Departments and Organisations

Natural Environment Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1EU.

British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET.

Briefing and Reporting Mechanisms

Briefing is through the UK National Committee on Antarctic Research, Chairman: Professor Julian Dowdeswell—see above.

Communication with the world at large is through publication of the SCAR Bulletin in the Polar Record.

Perspective

The current trend of Antarctic research is towards large, multinational programmes which, due to the increasing complexity and costs of Antarctic logistics, are the principal way to address the major scientific problems in Antarctica. Nevertheless, there is still a vast range of individual topical research projects being undertaken nationally alongside, but outside of the major international research programmes.