Organisation

ISCU and WMO have appointed a joint committee with representatives from ten countries to lead the international efforts, identify themes and approve projects. The committee does not allocate funds; rather, projects are funded partially through national allocations. The International Programme Office is located in Cambridge, UK. Norwegian institutions have actively participated in the planning efforts and are represented on the joint committee.

Project proposals have been assessed by the joint committee in several rounds. A total of 206 clusters of research groups have received approval for their projects, which enables them to apply for national funding.

Planning in Norway began in 2003, when a preparatory committee was appointed by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in consultation with the Research Council. Since 2005 the IPY committee has carried out its work on the basis of a mandate from the National Committee on Polar Research.

Norwegian research communities have been involved in the international planning efforts from the start. The programme is based on an international framework plan, which establishes scientific parameters and plans for implementation, organisational structure, data processing and outreach.

The board of the Division for Strategic Priorities at the Research Council of Norway approved a policy document in December 2005 on Norway's contribution to International Polar Year.

The secretariat for the International Polar Year in Norway is located under the Division for Energy and the Environment at the Research Council.

Responsibility for the subcommittees is distributed across several institutions. The Research Council heads the subcommittee for communication and has administrative responsibility for outreach activities. The subcommittee for education is headed by UNIS and administrative responsibility lies with the Norwegian Centre for Science Education at the University of Oslo Blindern campus. The subcommittee for data is directed by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, and the subcommittee for observation systems is headed by the Institute of Marine Research. The Norwegian Polar Institute directs the subcommittee for logistics.