BB Research

"...shall always be open on
a footing of absolute equality to communications

— THE SVALBARD TREATY/ ARTICLE 4

ABOUT THE PLATFORM

BBResearch is an international platform for research, fieldwork and collaboration in Svalbard

We help teams assess what is possible, connect with local infrastructure and develop projects around real field conditions

The platform is in its first field season

ACTIVE NOW

Svalbard, Norway

LOCATIONS

11-25 aug

DATES

Intended method

Site observation · oral-history interviews · technical and infrastructure survey · archival reading

Planned inquiry

Reading the overlap of industry, everyday life, history and identity in Svalbard's settlements — bringing together an American perspective, deep knowledge of Russia and Eastern Europe, and hands-on experience with marine and mechanical systems.

Central research question

Can you understand an industrial community without understanding the work itself?

Arctic is a mirror
of Global Change

One residency is being prepared for the coming field season. Artists and writers are arriving with different ways of reading the same landscape. It has not started yet. Everything below describes the work as it is currently planned.

UPCOMING RESEARCH RESIDENCY

Meet all residents

Meet Christopher

Follow our updates

RESEARCHER IN RESIDENCE

RESEARCH

Research areas

These are research areas, not finished projects. Each is at an early stage, where a well-scoped proposal can genuinely influence its direction.

Environmental Change & Earth Systems

Studying glaciers, permafrost, geology, sediments, environmental processes and long-term Arctic change through interdisciplinary field research.

Explore this area

Society, Infrastructure & Polar Communities

Exploring how infrastructure, technology and Arctic living shape everyday life, resilience and community in high-latitude settlements.

Explore this area

Heritage, Memory & Industrial Landscapes

Investigating industrial heritage, material culture and overlapping historical layers preserved within Arctic settlements.

Explore this area

Science, Society & Public Understanding

Exploring how scientific knowledge is communicated, interpreted and shared across disciplines and with wider society.

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Interdisciplinary Field Research

Creating shared field environments where scientists, artists and practitioners investigate common questions through different methods.

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Human Wellbeing in Extreme Environments

Investigating how infrastructure, isolation, environmental conditions and community life influence wellbeing, creativity and resilience.

Explore this area

Not every good idea fits an existing category.
If your proposal explores Svalbard in a new way, we’d love to hear from you

Propose a project Contact us

What can an old mining wagon tell us about changing rhythms of life in Barentsburg?

How did this near-spherical rock form inside a Svalbard cliff, and what shaped it?

How does essential infrastructure shape everyday life in an Arctic settlement?

PROGRAMMES

In development, and honest about it.

These are research areas, not finished projects. Each is at an early stage, where a well-scoped proposal can genuinely influence its direction.

Field programmes

Structured field weeks built around a stated learning objective, adjusted to season, access and the group's discipline.

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Summer schools

A taught field format combining method training with fieldwork in the settlements. Curriculum and partner roles are being worked out.

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Open calls

There is no open call at the moment. The next residency call will be published here and announced on @bbresearcharctic.

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PARTNERS

Built
together

The Arctic brings together different countries, disciplines and ways of seeing the world. BBResearch grows through collaboration with our academic, cultural and institutional partners, connecting Arctic research, education and international exchange.

Moving from isolated academic silos toward open, collaborative field
ecosystems.

Beyond the silo

Akureyri, Iceland

Arctic Portal