Sverdrup's Fram expedition (1898–1902) took place in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (Second Fram Voyage or Second Fram Expedition; Norwegian: Den andre Framekspedisjonen) under Otto Sverdrup. The expedition ship Fram was modernized to increase cargo capacity and to accommodate a crew of 16. Originally, the expedition was planned for the northern coast of Greenland, but weather and ice conditions prevented the realization of this plan, so Sverdrup decided to explore the southern part of Ellesmere Island. The Norwegian team discovered Sverdrup islands and completed the mapping of the southern part of Ellesmere Island and the northern part of Devon Island. In total, approximately 260,000 km² (100,000 sq mi) of islands were surveyed and mapped. Due to severe ice conditions, the fourth —unplanned— winter campaign took place in 1901–1902. Extreme weather conditions and uncertain plans led to the loss of two men in 1899.

Otto Sverdrup declared all the territories discovered during the expedition as Norwegian possessions, but the government in Stockholm at the time did not claim them. In 1930, on behalf of Norway, Sverdrup turned over all materials and maps to Canada, which extended its sovereignty over the islands (nowadays the territory of Nunavut).

Otto Sverdrup developed and systematized Norwegian methods and techniques of travel and survival in Arctic conditions during the 1898–1902 expedition. In many ways, Sverdrup's achievements served as the basis for Roald Amundsen's expedition to the South Pole in 1910–1911. The publication of the scientific report of the expedition, which took more than 20 years, was completed in 1930; a popular description of the expedition in two volumes of New Land, that was published by Sverdrup in 1903 and translated into English in 1904. Despite its success and great scientific achievements, Sverdrup's expedition was less well known than the first and third voyages of the Fram.

The rise of national consciousness in Norway and the success of the first Fram expedition led to a desire to expand Norway's presence in the High Arctic — the country became a center of polar research. The polar ambitions of Fridtjof Nansen, the first man to cross Greenland (1888) and the successful drifter in the ice of the central Arctic (1893–1896), went even further. Having set himself the task of reaching both the North and South Poles, he repeatedly consulted with Otto Sverdrup about the possibilities of new expeditions. Sverdrup agreed to play the role of wingman, ensuring the expedition team's delivery to the site.

The preliminary plan for the new expedition was ready by September 1896, when Nansen and Sverdrup had just arrived in Christiania (Oslo). During the unloading of the Fram at Lysaker Nansen proposed Sverdrup as the leader of the new long voyage. The idea was suggested by the Fram's privateers, Axel Heiberg, and the brewers Ellef and Amund Ringnes. They also undertook the financing of the new expedition, which they originally wanted Nansen to lead, but he had just been reunited with his family and was also too busy with his scientific work — processing the data collected on the Fram.

The destination of the new expedition was Greenland, which at the end of the 19th century was almost completely unknown from its northern and northeastern coasts. The Fram was to pass through Davis Strait and on through Smith Sound, Kane Basin, Kennedy Channel, Hall Basin and Robeson Channel, possibly as far north as ice conditions would allow. Drifting through the ice was not anticipated. From the northernmost point reached by the ship, the dogsled team was to sail northeast along the northern tip of Greenland to the more explored eastern coasts of the island. They would also explore Peary Land, which the American explorer had discovered with Astrup in 1893 and which he considered a separate polar archipelago. The goal was not to conquer the North Pole, which Sverdrup emphasized on the very first page of his expedition report.

Sverdrup realized that this ambitious plan was practically unrealizable, as it was based on the assumption that ice conditions would be ideal. No ship could reach the northern coast of Greenland at that time, so Sverdrup reserved the right to change the route of the expedition if the ice conditions were unfavorable. The drift of 1893–1896 presented a lot of conclusions for the organization and equipment of the new expedition, repairs and modernization were needed and the ship, so Sverdrup scheduled the campaign for the summer of 1898. For the 1897 season, Captain Sverdrup took command of the tourist liner Lofoten to take travelers to Svalbard for hunting and to admire the Arctic scenery; his name also served as an advertisement for the armorer's company. Sverdrup also hoped to see the start of André's Swedish balloon expedition; the Fram crew had seen its members the previous year, 1896.

All expenses were borne by the Fram privateers: each contributed one third of the total. The total cost of the expedition was about 220,000 krones (12,000 pound sterling). Sverdrup wrote almost nothing about the equipment of the expedition, except to say that everything was done as well as possible. Most of the scientific equipment and provisions for the 3 years ahead came from abroad.