Arctic Research Group

The Arctic Research Group (ARG) organises and carries out environmental scientific research expeditions in the High Arctic. Founded in 1988, the group formed by volunteers is a registered UK charity and has previously been the grateful recipient of many prestigious grants including a Rolex Award for Small Expeditions and grants from the Gino Watkins Memorial Trust and the Svalbard Miljovernfond. The founder of the ARG is Ian Frearson and the founding members are Richard Grant, Mike Haynes, George Shaw and Stephen Staley. Our patron is Dame Joanna Lumley DBE, FRGS who has commented “ARG is doing absolutely vital work". As well as grants, ARG is supported by donations from businesses and individuals, and the volunteers in the field work team also personally contribute towards the expedition costs. Despite all of these sources of funding, each expedition requires specific fund raising to cover the costs. The ARG enables young and early career researchers to carry out scientific fieldwork in the Arctic at an affordable cost that may otherwise prevent them from gaining experience. ARG expeditions always include experienced personnel who have visited the Arctic and are able to provide support to the research work and keep the team safe. The ARG carries out research across the environmental sciences and occasionally in the fields of human physiology and psychology. All the key research projects involve recognised research institutions or universities and is submitted for formal approval to the appropriate regulatory authorities, which for Svalbard includes the Sysselmesteren and Research in Svalbard organisations. All of the expeditions research is written up by the volunteers involved in the field work and in conjunction with the institution or university researchers involved in the project. These expedition reports have always been made freely available and copies of them are lodged with the British Library and the Scott Polar Research Institute.