NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant

Proposed Research cities and communities

“Indigenous contributions to Arctic biodiversity conservation: approaching the conservation of lands and species through knowledge co-production in the circumpolar north.”

Grant Update

Today I’m thrilled to share that my NSF grant application through the Office of Polar Program has finally been approved after a year of hard work and several years of planning! This dissertation improvement grant affords me the opportunity to reach communities and organizations across the Arctic to identify case studies for conservation assessment, conduct interviews with Indigenous and conservation professionals, and visit field sites all in an effort to document how much conservation work in the Arctic is led by Indigenous peoples.

This grant includes funding for travel and community organizing in 28 cities and communities across the Arctic. If you’re interested in this work and I am coming to a community near you, please let me know! I am hoping to give as many presentations about Indigenous-led conservation and the co-production of knowledge in conservation planning as possible. More information on this award can be found on the NSF website, here.

Research Abstract

This dissertation examines how Indigenous researchers, professionals, and communities shape the conservation of lands and species across the Arctic. Spurred by environmental and development impacts to wildlife that threaten subsistence and the Indigenous way of life, Arctic Peoples have long been invested in conserving biodiversity though many challenges remain to meaningful participation in conservation efforts. This research involves four studies that examine (1) the contributions of Indigenous communities to Arctic biodiversity research in data collection, planning, implementation, evaluation, and reporting, (2) the ways in which Indigenous knowledge and science partner to build evidence for use in conservation planning, (3) how researchers and practitioners perceive the barriers and enablers of Indigenous participation in conservation efforts, and (4) if and how current Arctic conservation projects and initiatives facilitate participatory processes that are inclusive of Indigenous communities and knowledge. This research furthers science and society by examining the human dimensions of conservation, furthering formal Indigenous participation in conservation, improving scientific methodologies by identifying tools and approaches for meaningfully and respectfully engaging Indigenous Peoples, documenting Indigenous-inclusive approaches to addressing biodiversity loss, improving the management and conservation of Indigenous lands, and partnering Indigenous knowledge and science for conservation action. While this research focuses on the Arctic, the findings may have application for Indigenous Peoples around the world.

This research identifies thirty proposed study locations for intensive international field study as information on these research topics is often limited, only partially recorded, recorded in a language other than English, or captured in the living memories of professionals and community members engaged in conservation efforts. Data collection and analyses for the four studies include, respectively, (1) gathering published literature on Arctic biodiversity research for content analysis (n=100), (2) case study development, comparative case study analysis, and focused comparison of conservation projects engaged in knowledge co-production (n=10), (3) 30-minute semi-structured interviews of Indigenous and conservation professionals analyzed via transcription, qualitative data analysis software, and thematic coding (n=50), and (4) comparative case study analysis of Indigenous use of, and engagement in, Arctic protected areas via process tracing, focused comparison, content analysis, and principal component analysis (n=35). Results from this study will likely support that Indigenous participation in conservation efforts creates robust bodies of evidence, strengthens conservation targets and goals, and facilitates innovative and culturally relevant conservation strategies. Four publications are expected upon completion.