Arctic Institute of North America

The Arctic Institute of North America (AINA) is a non-profit membership-based organization and multidisciplinary research institute based at the University of Calgary and the University of Alaska. AINA is a bi-national organization composed of two branches of corporations. Formed by an Act of Parliament in 1945, the primary objective of the AINA has been to serve as a supporting organization for northern research. As a result, three of AINA's areas of strength are research tools of great national and international signifigance to polar science. These are the Arctic Science and Technology Information System (ASTIS) database, the journal ARCTIC, and the Kluane Lake Research Station (KLRS). The fourth area of research strength are the northern scholars that make up the institute's Research Associates. The last area of strength is the extensive international library collection. These five areas promote environmental research, heritage and stewardship, social and economic development, and northern governance among indigenous groups.