The National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities awarded the University of Alaska Fairbanks $293,275 on June 1, 2026, under the Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) Research program to support collaborative research on socio-ecological considerations for sustainable fuel treatments to reduce wildfire risk in boreal forests. The award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
The project addresses interactions among social systems, the natural environment, and the built environment across NNA focus areas including Arctic residents, education, forecasting, global impact, and resilient infrastructure. The work centers on boreal forest wildfire risk in Alaska and Western Canada, where annual burned area has doubled since the 1990s. The project examines fuel treatment methods such as thinning and prescribed burns that land management agencies, landowners, and communities employ to reduce wildfire risk to residents and infrastructure, considering the planning, implementation costs, maintenance requirements, and controversies associated with these interventions.
Performance occurs in Fairbanks, Alaska with a period of performance from June 1, 2026 through November 30, 2026. The award falls under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050), which supports basic research in the atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciences to strengthen the national scientific enterprise and increase understanding of the integrated Earth system.