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April 2018
NIBA: A Status Report from BCoN
In 2017, the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) convened a two-day workshop of biodiversity collections community stakeholders to review community progress toward the goals and objectives outlined in the Strategic and Implementation Plans for a Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance. This webinar will summarize the findings from that workshop.
Find out more »May 2018
Collections Communications: A Report from BCoN
One goal of the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) is the identification of ways for the community to sustainably advance the goals and objectives outlined in the Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance (NIBA) strategic and implementation plans. Among these goals are improved community governance and the development of a community positioned to sustainably advance the digitization efforts associated with biodiversity collections. Toward this end, BCoN recognized that improved communication with various stakeholders within and outside of the biodiversity collections community is essential.…
Find out more »Data Attribution and Integration
This webinar will share insights gained from a BCoN organized workshop held at the University of Kansas in February 2018. The workshop brought together various data providers and users to discuss the biodiversity data pipeline and opportunities to increase integration and attribution.
Find out more »June 2018
Using Natural History Collections Data to Address National Challenges
This webinar will share insights from a recent survey conducted by iDigBio and BCoN and will use these findings to stimulate ideas and input from webinar participants about future needs and opportunities for the use of natural history collections data to advance science and contribute solutions to societal challenges. The information captured during this webinar will inform and guide discussions during a BCoN workshop planned for fall 2018.
Find out more »Addressing Legal Issues Involved in Digitized Collections: The Nagoya Protocol as a Test Case
This webinar will summarize discussions and findings from a BCoN organized workshop held at Harvard University in March 2018 to address legal concerns associated with digitized collections and mitigating these issues using digital means. Participants with practical knowledge of how biological collections should manage legal issues in regards to changing policy, utilizing cyberinfrastructure, and advising stakeholders used compliance with the Nagoya Protocol as a test case to investigate how U.S. institutions must respond to the need for increased transparency…
Find out more »September 2018
Biodiversity Collections and Education
The Biodiversity Collections Network will convene a series of webinar programs in 2018 to share information about BCoN activities with the community and to receive community input on prior and pending BCoN programs. These webinars will include a formal presentation followed by an opportunity for participants to ask questions and share information. All programs will be recorded and posted to the BCoN website. Natural History collections and the mobilization of specimen and occurrence based data has opened new opportunities for…
Find out more »October 2018
Importance of Small Biodiversity Collection Digitization to the Collections Community
Smaller, regional biodiversity collections make valuable contributors to the digitization of collections and are uniquely equipped to enhance the quality and quantity of digital data representing global biodiversity. A recent Biodiversity Collections Network survey indicates a community-wide priority is to engage more collections in the national digitization effort. Toward this goal, there is a need to evaluate the role of small and regional collections in quantifying biodiversity and determine best practices for engaging this portion of the biodiversity collections community.…
Find out more »April 2019
Biodiversity Collections Network Report Release
The Biodiversity Collections Network is releasing its new report, Extending U.S. Biodiversity Collections to Promote Research and Education. at 9:00 AM EDT on April 4, 2019, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. This National Agenda is a synthesis of scientific community recommendations from workshops and townhall-style discussions convened by the Biodiversity Collections Network and its partners during the past four-years. This report offers a community-inspired shared vision for next generation uses of biodiversity collections that will inspire new…
Find out more »October 2021
Funding Opportunities for Scientific Collections at NSF
Join us on October 4, 2021 for a webinar with program directors from the National Science Foundation (NSF) about structural changes to collections-related funding opportunities at the agency.
Find out more »February 2023
Kick-off Webinar & Discussion on the Need for a Specimen Management Plan Requirement
Please join representatives from the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) and the U.S. Culture Collection Network (USCCN) for a joint webinar discussion 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 is now supported by the CHIPS and Science Act. Join us for a discussion about the elements of a specimen management plan and its benefits to various stakeholder…
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