Memorandum

of understanding between Internarional Arctic Science Committee University of Alaska Fairbanks and Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Science on the BESIS project (Bering Sea Impact Study)

In the mutual interest of expanding and sharing our knowledge of the Arctic and Bering Sea region and furthering the development and coordination of the International Arctic Science Committee's BESIS (Bering Sea Impact Study) project, the International Arctic Science Committee (herein referred to as IASC), the University of Alaska (UAF) and the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy (FEB-RAS) agree to work together as outlined below.

All three parties agree to cooperate in the planning and execution of the BESIS project. This involves specific tasks which will be planned and coordinated by an international BESIS Steering Committee appointed by IASC.

The responsibilities of the three parties with regard to the BESIS project are listed below.

IASC

The IASC Council and Executive will provide overall guidance and approval for BESIS activities. Funds to execute the BESIS project will have to be provided from various national sources, but IASC will provide limited planning funds for travel of Steering Committee members and publication of BESIS plans and results.

UAF

The main BESIS project office will be located at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and will be directed by Prof. Gunter Weller. This office will, with the advice of the BESIS Steering Committee, perform the following tasks:

• Prepare and publish a BESIS science plan and prospectus
• Solicit letters of intent or pre-proposals from interested researchers
• Conduct appropriate workshops to further plan BESIS
• Actively seek funding from various sources for BESIS
• Execute and coordinate the BESIS project tasks, and
• Make results available for wide distribution
• Strengthen communication and cooperation between the ongoing and planned research programmes FEB-RAS
• A Second BESIS project office will be located in Vladivostok, under FEB-RAS, in cooperation with the Far-East State University, and will be directed by Dr. Igor Semiletov who will be a member of the BESIS Steering Committee. This office will work closely with the UAF office in pursuing the goals of BESIS.
• Participate in the preparation of a BESIS Science Plan and Prospectus
• Solicit letters of intent and pre-proposals from Russian researchers
• Help the BESIS Steering Committee in selecting Russian researchers for inclusion in the BESIS project
• Seek funding for BESIS from Russian sources
• Help the UAF office in the execution and coordination of BESIS tasks
• Make BESIS results available to institutions and individuals in Russia
• Strengthen communication and cooperation between the ongoing and planned research programmes.
• The undersigned concur with the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding and agree that it may be modified by the mutual consent of the parties.