CNARC is open to participation from Chinese and Nordic institutes with capacities to influence and coordinate Arctic research.

Current member institutes of CNARC are as follows.

Nordic member institutes:

• Arctic Center, University of Lapland (Finland)
• Fridtjof Nansen Institute (Norway)
• Icelandic Center for Research (Iceland)
• Nord University
• Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (Denmark)
• Norwegian Polar Institute (Norway)
• Swedish Polar Research Secretariat (Sweden)
• The Arctic University of Norway - UiT (Norway)
• The University of Akureyri (Iceland)

Chinese member institutes:

• Dalian Maritime University
• Ocean University of China
• Polar Research Institute of China
• Shanghai Institutes for International Studies
• Shanghai Jiao Tong University
• Shanghai Ocean University
• South China Business College
• Tongji University

Applications to become a CNARC Member Institute shall be submitted to the CNARC Secretariat.