The 5th International Polar Year (IPY) 2032-2033 and its legacy will impact the careers of the current polar early career community, yet mid- and senior-career researchers often shape IPY priorities. Today’s polar early career researchers (ECRs) have an unprecedented opportunity to provide input on what they want priorities to be for the 5th IPY. 

The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Polar Early Career Community Office (PSECCO) partnered to bring together 120 polar ECRs for the Polar Early Career World Summit (PECWS; held 22–24 March 2025) to develop 12 vision statements and 75 priorities for the polar community for the years to come. In order to have PECWS visions and priorities reflect the global polar ECR community, we ask polar ECRs who did not attend PECWS to provide written feedback on polar early career priorities via this priority input form.

This input will be used to guide international priority setting and coordination processes in polar research, including through the 4th International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP IV) and the 5th IPY processes.

In the form, you can comment on the existing visions and priorities and identify missing ideas. We welcome form submissions from all polar early career community members, and encourage you to contribute to the form even if you only want to comment on one or two priority themes.