Representatives from the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) and the U.S. Culture Collection Network (USCCN), in partnership with AIBS and the Natural Science Collections Alliance, held a webinar on February 7 on the need for a Specimen Management Plan requirement in research proposals that generate living or preserved specimens. Recommended by the National Academies’ report on biological collections in 2020, this requirement was supported by the recently enacted CHIPS and Science Act. Webinar panelists discussed the elements of a specimen management plan and its benefits to various stakeholder communities.
If you missed the program, the recording is now available online, along with a record of the written Q&A during the webinar.
Additionally, the webinar organizers are soliciting feedback on the webinar and their proposal regarding implementation of the specimen management plan requirement. They would like to hear from a wide range of stakeholders in the research, collections, and policy communities. Please fill out this survey by March 10, 2023 to share your thoughts.