The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN), Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSC Alliance), and Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) surveyed individuals affiliated with US biodiversity science collections to better understand the effects of COVID-19 related disruptions and closures on biodiversity research and education collections, and the people who use and care for these scientific resources. The survey was conducted in April 2020.
Posts in the News category:
COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Biodiversity Collections: April 2020 Questionnaire
Projections indicate that the COVID-19 outbreak and stay-at-home orders will have a deep and lasting impact on many aspects of our lives and work. In order to document the effect of the crisis on biodiversity collections and those who use and care for them, the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN), […]
Science Groups Request Support for Collections-enabled Research and Education to Tackle Current and Future Global Problems, Advance Science
On March 31, 2020, the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSC Alliance), and Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) – the founding members of the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN), wrote to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) […]
BCoN Early Career Travel Awards for Team and Interdisciplinary Science Training
In 2019, the Biodiversity Collections Network released a report, Extending U.S. Biodiversity Collections to Promote Research and Education (https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz140). This report offers an exciting vision for biodiversity-related research and education. Achieving this vision will require a new level of collaboration from interdisciplinary teams BCoN wants to help prepare biodiversity-related scientists (broadly defined) to be successful […]
BCoN Announces Winners of Travel Awards for Communications Training
The Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) is pleased to announce the winners of travel awards to enable early career biodiversity scientists, collection managers, educators, and other biodiversity-collection professionals to participate in the AIBS Communications Boot Camp for Scientists in Washington, DC this fall. The Boot Camp is an intensive, two-day, hands-on professional development program. Ms. Sarah […]
BCoN Announces Travel Awards for Communications Training
In 2016, the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) published a workshop report, Building a More Networked System for Communicating about Natural History Collections, that called for a renewed community focus on communications – both within the biodiversity sciences community and with outside stakeholder groups (e.g. policymakers, news media, civic organization leaders, university administrators). That report also […]
BCoN Report: Extending U.S. Biodiversity Collections to Promote Research and Education
The Biodiversity Collections Network has released its new report, Extending U.S. Biodiversity Collections to Promote Research and Education. You are invited to download and share the summary brochure and to review the longer report that provides additional detail about this vision for the future. James Lendemer, et al., The Extended Specimen Network: A Strategy to […]
Community Input Requested: Extending U.S. Biodiversity Collections to Address National Challenges
A workshop held 30 October – 1 November 2018 at Oak Spring Garden in Upperville, VA under the leadership of the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) addressed the future deployment of data held in U.S. biodiversity collections for research, policy and education. In their discussions, participants drew heavily on recent literature as well as surveys, meetings […]
Survey Results: Harnessing Natural History Collections Data for Addressing National Challenges: The Biodiversity Collections and Data Wishlist
The results of the survey are in! This document summarizes the responses to this survey, which was active from 24 September to 5 October, 2018. These results, along with the results of earlier surveys and discussions sessions held in the biodiversity collections and information community, will inform a report on a primary stakeholder vision for […]
Nominations Sought for National Academies Panel on Biological Collections
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s (NASEM) Board on Life Sciences (BLS) is seeking experts to serve on a committee that will review the contributions of biological collections in research and education. The expert panel will examine both living organisms and preserved biodiversity specimens that are supported by the National Science Foundation. The […]