Abstract The Polar Research Board (PRB), a unit of the National Research Council, was established in 1958 to advise the government on polar issues. The PRB strives to make research in the polar regions more productive and responsive to the needs of the United States, to maintain U.S. awareness of, and representation in, international science programs, and to enhance understanding of issues in polar regions. The Board provides national and international scientific and technical information to U.S. government policy makers and the polar community, represents U.S. interests in international nongovernmental polar scientific organizations and conducts focused studies in areas of polar science, technology and resource management. The PRB facilitates participation of U.S. scientists in two critical international committees dedicated to planning and coordinating research in the Arctic and Antarctic i.e., the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) . PRB activities are conducted by a group of volunteer experts, supported by a small staff, selected from academic institutions, industry and national laboratories. The PRB will continue to serve as an information center for distributing materials on IASC and SCAR to U.S. government agencies and the polar community. Other federal agencies and foundations also provide support to the PRB.
