Permafrost affects ground conditions across the Northwest Territories (NWT) and is the foundation for northern ecosystems, communities and infrastructure. Climate change is altering permafrost with major implications to the environmental, economic, and social well-being of the NWT. The Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT), academic and Indigenous Organizations, as well as industry recognize that permafrost knowledge and a significant increase in northern permafrost science capacity is critical to support a resilient territory in a rapidly changing north. It is in this context that GNWT established a Permafrost Science Team at the Northwest Territories Geological Survey (NTGS) in 2020-21 and concurrently developed a strategic plan. The plan communicates the vision, mandate and strategies that will be implemented by an NWT Permafrost Science Team with support from its key partners. With input from government, academic, Indigenous, and industry partners, the team established the following four goals: A) Conduct and support research and monitoring that generates NWT relevant permafrost knowledge; B) Provide scientific leadership, mentorship and advice to advance the state of permafrost knowledge, and to support decision-making in the NWT; C) Lead the stewardship of NWT permafrost data; and D) Foster a community of permafrost experts who bring positive energy and diverse talents to their work and advance professional and public awareness of permafrost science and its relevance in the NWT. In this presentation we elaborate on the Permafrost Team’s Strategic Plan, provide a brief overview of new permafrost science staff, identify key partnerships, and briefly summarize the main permafrost research themes that will guide NTGS science and monitoring activities.