Pretoria – You are cordially invited to the joint BIMF-FBIP Forum which provides an opportunity for the foundational biodiversity information research and data community in South Africa to share information, discuss our practice and explore ways of improving the efficiency and impact of our work.
With the BIMF-FBIP Forum we aim to promote and further enhance networks, data sharing opportunities, collaboration and the development of information management practice by the biodiversity science community.
The 2019 Forum will have a strong focus on biodiversity open data supporting open science, technology and innovation, in support of the recent white paper on Science, Technology and Innovation. A standing item of the Forum will include a Postgraduate Student Forum, which will take place on the 19th of August. The core programme will also be followed by training workshops on the 22nd of August.
Registration for the Forum is free to all delegates. Participants will be required to make their own travel arrangements. Accommodation for a limited number of delegates is available at Roodevalley Faircity Hotel and will be sponsored by the funders.
Key Sessions for the 2019 Forum will include:
- Open Data for Open Science
- The Foundational Biodiversity Information Programme (FBIP)
- Regional Biodiversity Information Efforts and the Africa Agenda
- Developing our Biodiversity Information Science and human capital
- Innovative tools and applications to support research and development
- Information Systems, Services and Architecture
- Data Management, Data Sharing and Standards
- Biodiversity Information Management priorities in museums and herbaria
Call for Presentations
We are inviting delegates to showcase their work, achievements and questions related to the sessions and workshop themes identified above.
Contributions to the forum can be through:
- Standard oral presentations (10 minutes)
- Speed presentations intended to provide students with an opportunity to share their research findings (5 minutes)
- Poster presentations, and /or
- Workshops
If you would like to contribute to any of the themes and sessions above, or if you would like to facilitate a workshop, please send a short 200 word abstract by 27th June 2019 to BIMF_FBIP@sanbi.org.za
The abstracts should be in Calibri font, size 11 and 1.5 line spacing, and should be accompanied by the following: full names, title and affiliation of presenter and co-authors, and contact details of the presenter (including landline and cell phone numbers, an e-mail address and a postal address) and co-authors (e-mail address only). Clearly state the type of contribution (i.e. standard oral presentation; speed presentation; poster presentation or workshop). If accepted the presentation length will be confirmed with you.
Please note that due to limited time not all proposed presentations will be selected. Presentations need to be relevant to the sessions and criteria highlighted above in order to be considered. The Forum’s organising committee will confirm acceptance/rejection of papers by 10 July 2019.
Registration and Programme
Details of the application process, registration documents and the programme will be circulated with subsequent announcements.
Student Post-Grad Forum and Student travel support
The FBIP invites post-graduate students to participate in the 2019 BIMF-FBIP Forum and Post-Grad Student Forum. The Student Forum is directed at post-graduate students and post-doctoral fellows working on foundational biodiversity information-related projects including systematics, taxonomy and other disciplines that generate or that use foundational biodiversity information (e.g. DNA barcodes or sequence data, specimen or observation data). The FBIP will provide travel assistance and accommodation to a limited number of post-graduate students. For more information please read the call for student participation and travel support below.
CALL FOR STUDENT PARTICIPATION (PDF download)
FBIP Student Forum Announcement and Call for Student Travel Support 2019
STUDENT MOTIVATION & SUPERVISOR RECOMMENDATION TEMPLATE (PDF download)
Student Motivation and Supervisor Recommendation Template
For more information on the Joint Biodiversity Information Management & FBIP Forum, contact Fatima Parker-Allie, F.Parker@sanbi.org.za or +27 (0)21 799 8698 or Lita Pauw at L.Pauw@sanbi.org.za or Tel: +27 12 843 5113