The purpose of the Science Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) is to advise the North Slope Science Oversight Group on issues such as identifying and prioritizing inventory, monitoring and research needs, and providing other scientific advice as requested by the Oversight Group.

The Panel consists of a representative group of not more than 15 scientists and technical experts from diverse professions and interests, including the oil and gas industry, subsistence users, Alaska Native entities, conservation organizations, and academia, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior. The members are selected from among, but not limited to, the following disciplines: North Slope traditional and local knowledge, landscape ecology, petroleum engineering, civil engineering, geology, botany, hydrology, limnology, habitat biology, wildlife biology, remote sensing, biometrics, sociology, cultural anthropology, economics, ornithology, oceanography, fisheries biology, and climatology.