▁the ▁( S val b ard ) ▁arch ip el ago . ▁He ▁assemble d ▁teams ▁of ▁exper ts ▁including ▁ge ograph ers , ▁ge olog ists , ▁engine ers , ▁do ctors ▁and ▁bi olog ists . ▁These ▁teams ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁first ▁Roman ian ▁teams ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁cross - border ▁exped itions . ▁In ▁his ▁first ▁expedition , ▁however , ▁five ▁Roman ians ▁were ▁lost ▁in ▁a ▁hel ic opter ▁crash . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁did ▁some ▁expl oration ▁on ▁his ▁own ▁in ▁Green land ▁and ▁the ▁Sp its ber gen ▁( S val b ard ) ▁arch ip el ago , ▁trav elling ▁approximately ▁ ▁on ▁sk is . ▁ ▁N ego i ţ ă ▁established ▁contact ▁with ▁Dan ish , ▁Norwegian , ▁Canadian ▁and ▁Russian ▁research ers , ▁wanting ▁to ▁obtain ▁information ▁on ▁other ▁countries ' ▁work ▁so ▁that ▁his ▁Roman ian ▁team ▁would ▁be ▁conduct ing ▁original ▁research . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁he ▁established ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁Institute ▁of ▁Pol ar ▁Research ▁as ▁a ▁private ▁institution , ▁int ending ▁to ▁gather ▁scient ists ▁from ▁different ▁fields ▁who ▁had ▁a ▁passion ▁for ▁polar ▁expl oration . ▁He ▁obtained ▁fund ing ▁for ▁the ▁inst itute ' s ▁research ▁projects ▁from ▁private ▁spons ors , ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁government ▁and ▁European ▁sources . ▁After ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁heading ▁Roman ian ▁polar ▁exped itions . ▁ ▁N ego i ţ ă ▁trained ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁year ▁to ▁make ▁an