Note: some of these priorities are being addressed by current studies, however, results are not available yet.

• Implement this technology in a sea ice model (van Dijke 2022); can help with location selection for implementation and to predict effects of technology of ice cover across seasons.
• Implement in climate models to explore secondary effects (van Dijke 2022).
• Conduct site suitability analysis.
• Field trials at appropriate scales in snow and no-snow conditions to prove that thickened ice lasts longer than unthickened ice and to verify there is a positive albedo effect (van Dijke in review).
• Analyze properties of thickened ice including ice strength, salinity, and albedo, and how these properties influence ice melt and growth (van Dijke in review).
• Demonstrate that this technique has a climate relevant impact.
• Determine what happens to salt during ice thickening and melt. How does the brine get out? What is the impact of the brine? The brine could potentially help drain melt ponds, or could be corrosive and lead to ice break up.
• Determine the thermal conductivity of the new layer of ice.

• A multilateral governance framework addressing ice management research is needed, followed by regulation for specific approaches (Argüello and Johansson 2022).
• Research framework proposed by Diamond et al. 2022 for marine cloud brightening could be adapted and developed for ice management approaches. This framework includes checkpoints (research questions that need to be addressed for the pathway to be viable) and exit ramps (criteria for terminating research if the pathway is deemed not technically or socially feasible). Once developed, this type of research framework could be enacted now, even in the absence of other governance structures and international guidance. Diamond et al. (2022) focuses on physical and technical checkpoints and exit ramps. However, social checkpoints and exit ramps also need development.
• Further development of what priorities look like in different places for different actors will be needed.

• Public engagement, education, and town halls about all aspects of the approach need to be developed and implemented in parallel with research in order to determine whether this approach can be implemented.
• Follow core engagement principles identified by the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx) advisory committee (Jinnah et al. 2024):
  • Start engagement efforts as early as possible.
  • Include social scientists with engagement expertise on research teams during the research design process.
  • Don’t presuppose what communities will be concerned about.
  • Develop a plan to be responsive to community concern.