Transcript SciColl Krakow FCA 09

OECD GSF Krakow Oct 2009
Scientific Collections
International (SciColl)
An international coordinating
mechanism
Richard Lane,
Natural History Museum, London
Herbarium, NHM London
Marine Zoology, NHM London
Millenium seed bank
Kew
Photo National Ice Core Labratory, USGS
Photo J. Hicks, U.S. Geological Survey
Scientific Collections – key points
• Selected & Structured samples of the world
around us
• Vouchers / samples :
• repeatable, verifiable
• can be re-examined with new tools (cf observations)
• Reference system of existing information
• Source of new knowledge and ideas
• Can be arrayed, distributed infrastructure
Collections are Part of our Scientific Infrastructure
SciColl: International Coordinating Mechanism
Two main benefits
• Ensure collections are efficient and integrated
infrastructures
SciColl: International Coordinating Mechanism
Two main benefits
• Ensure collections are efficient and integrated
infrastructures
– Best practice for access, management
– Value for money
– Connectivity
SciColl: International Coordinating Mechanism
Two main benefits
• Ensure collections are efficient and integrated
infrastructures
• Enable more science to be done, especially
interdisciplinary research
SciColl: International Coordinating Mechanism
Two main benefits
• Ensure collections are efficient and integrated
infrastructures
• Enable more science to be done, especially
interdisciplinary research
This will lead to the sustainabilty and development
of collections
Background – GSF Scientific Collections
initiative
• Proposal by Dutch delegation, GSF-14 (Feb 2006)
• Exploratory workshops: Leiden June 2007,
Washington, July 2008
• Approval GSF Oct 2008
– Planning for 18 months, governance, sustainability
– Expand disciplinary and international participation
• Planning meetings: London, March 2009 (SciColl);
Berlin Sept 2009
Scientific Collections International
SciColl - update
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Strategic planning and programme of work
Governance and management
Budget and financing start-up phase
Outreach to scientific disciplines and countries
Strategic planning and programme of work
Mission
help scientific collections and their host institutions
increase their effectiveness and the return on
investment in the long-term management of
collections
catalyse ground-breaking interdisciplinary research
that relies on access to scientific collections and
their associated information.
Strategic planning and programme of work
Workplan:
• Best practice in management of collections
• Pilot project on Global Environment Change
Invasive Organisms &
Emerging Diseases
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102
103
104
105
106
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108
Years
Anthropogenic
Materials
Agriculture &
Industrialisation
Climate Change
Early Agriculture
& Climate Change
Governance and management
Secretariat
directs
Executive
Board
runs
Work
Programme
Work
Programme
proposes
agrees
General
Assembly
advises
Scientific
Advisory
Board
Governance and management
• Governance
• Secretariat
– Build up over two years
– Hosting secretariat: expressions of interest
Budget and financing start-up phase
• [Budget table]
Budget and financing start-up phase
• Budget
• Contributions
– Years 1-3 primarily national contributions
based on GERD
– Years 4 > primarily membership contributions
– (governance reflects the contribution profile)
Outreach to scientific disciplines and countries
• Scientific conference: Brussels 8-9 Feb 2010
International coordination of scientific collections: A
global research infrastructure to understand
changing environments
• European Science Foundation : Euro 15,000
Timeline and Milestones
• Feb 2010: research conference: collections and users
– Extends scientific scope, widens participation
– Partners
• Apr 2010: final report to GSF
• Jan 2011: SciColl launch event
Questions?
Unmet needs: 1. quality of collections
• Demonstrating value to funders
– Scientific quality of collection
– Quality of management as an infrastructure
– Efficiency measures: Value for money
Unmet needs: quality of collections
• Demonstrating value to funders
– Scientific quality of collection
– Quality of management as an infrastructure
– Efficiency measures: Value for money
• Credibility with scientific community
– Quality of data
– Ability to engage with larger questions
Unmet needs: 2. sharing best practice and standards
• Management and care of collections
• Access
• Metadata standards & interoperability
Unmet needs: 3. enhancing value to science
and society
• Addressing large scale scientific questions
coordinated collections & integrated
research programs
cross-disciplinary
research team
cross-disciplinary
research team
cross-disciplinary
research team
virtual network of collections with
interoperable information resources
biodiversity anthropology/
archaeology
Collection
Collection
earth
sciences
Collection
biomedicine
Collection
Examples of interdisciplinary research programs
using collections
• impact of global climate change in specific ecosystems
(e.g., shallow seas / deserts / mountains)
• patterns of human migration
• changes in biodiversity, extinctions
• historical epidemiology, especially infectious diseases
• development of forensic tools
• movement of anthropogenic materials in the environment
• geological dynamics
Unmet needs: 3. enhancing value to science
and society
• Large scale scientific questions
• Cultural diplomacy
– International in origin
– Historical resource inequity
– Metadata extraction
– Need to explore shared ownership, access, etc
Un-met needs summary
Unmet needs for coordination
– Quality of collections
– Best practice and standards
– Enhancing value to science and society
Recommendations of the 2008 Washington
workshop
• An international coordinating mechanism for scientific
collections should be created
• GSF should authorise follow-on activities leading to
an implementation plan
• Specific proposal for planning activities
• GSF delegations should promote engagement with
member countries and research communities and
institutions