A new report from Arctic Hub shows that the number of US research publications about Greenland fell by 23 percent between 2015 and 2024.
Arctic Hub presented the report on Wednesday in Greenland. It is the first systematic mapping of research activity in, from and about Greenland across that ten-year period. DR reports that the drop in American output runs counter to rising US political interest in Greenland.
According to the report, the decline is clearest in the physical sciences from 2021 onward. In that field, US publications related to climate change in Greenland fell by 32 percent. The mapping covers research output over the full period from 2015 to 2024.
Sara Olsvig, a researcher at Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland, describes the development as paradoxical. She studies relations between Greenland and the United States and sits on the board of ICC Greenland. Per DR, she notes that American interest in Greenland has grown across different administrations during the same period.
Olsvig told DR that the trend causes concern. She pointed to reductions from 2024 onward in US support for research in general, and for climate research in particular. In her assessment, that development is reflected in the falling number of American climate publications on Greenland.
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Limited Greenlandic involvement
The report also finds that most research on Greenland takes place without local partners. On average, only around 10 percent of research publications have a Greenlandic collaborator or institution involved. Olsvig said ICC protocols for ethical and equitable engagement with Indigenous peoples are still far from fully implemented.
She compared the shift toward equal partnerships with Indigenous peoples to turning a supertanker. For that reason, she said, the low collaboration figures did not surprise her. Avijâja Rosing-Olsen, secretariat director at Arctic Hub, said the report shows a need to examine how research can better create value for Greenland.
Arctic Hub has operated since 2019 as a coordinating platform for Greenlandic, Danish and international polar researchers. According to the Arctic policy report to the Danish Parliament for 2024, Folketinget lists Danish funding of about 3.0 million kroner per year, and 3.3 million kroner in 2024. Greenland contributed 0.75 million kroner per year, the same report states.
Arctic Hub has previously published an interactive map of research projects in Greenland for 2024. A notice from Katak.gl describes the new mapping as the first comprehensive overview of research from, in and about Greenland.
Olsvig said the report should speed up work on legislation covering research in Greenland. Data and knowledge can be converted into power, she said. In the current geopolitical situation, she argued, administrative and legal frameworks need to be firmly in place.
