iarc serves as a focal point of excellence for international collaboration and provides the arctic research community with an unprecedented opportunity to share knowledge about science in the arctic, with an emphasis on global change research. the primary mission of the iarc is to nurture, integrate and synthesize research being conducted internationally by individuals and groups in order to identify natural and man-made changes. more than 20 international groups and more than 60 scientists are collaborating with iarc, allowing the institute to meet the uaf mission and goals in a concrete way.