TDWG Conferences - Call for Expressions of Interest

By: Chuck Miller

Happy New Year 2011 to all of you! It’s the UN International Year of the Forest, the UNEP Year of the Bat and the Chinese Year of the Rabbit.

As the new Chair of Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) and on behalf of the Executive Committee it is my pleasure to officially launch the call for proposals to host the TDWG annual meetings for 2011-2013.

Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG), also known as the Taxonomic Databases Working Group, is a not for profit scientific and educational association affiliated with the International Union of Biological Sciences. Its mission is to: 

• Develop, adopt and promote standards and guidelines for the recording and exchange of data about organisms
• Promote the use of standards through the most appropriate and effective means, and
• Act as a forum for discussion through meetings, Wiki, mail lists, and open-access publications

More information is available at: www.tdwg.org

Key to achieving TDWG’s mission is its annual meeting. We now call for proposals to host the annual meetings for 2011, 2012 and 2013. We are most keen to receive proposals for the 2011 meeting as soon as possible. Proposals should be sent in electronic format to the TDWG Secretary at secretary@tdwg.org. The Executive Committee will begin review of proposals after February 18. Dates for review of the coming years will be announced at a later time, but early proposals are welcomed. Of course, anyone interested to host the meeting beyond 2013 is welcome to come forward. 

The Conference Guidelines document at http://www.tdwg.org/fileadmin/documentation/guidance_docs/ConferenceGuidelines.doc  provides background, requirements, expectations and a template for a proposal to host a TDWG annual conference. It is not necessary to copy exactly what has been done in previous years. Proposals should be adapted to the local infrastructure and conditions as long as they are in line with the proposal guidelines and recommendations..

If you have any additional questions or need assistance, do not hesitate to contact the TDWG Secretary, Patricia Mergen, at secretary(at)tdwg.org.

Schedule for Proposals:

• February 18 – Executive Committee begins review of 2011 proposals.
• March 1 – Announcement by the TDWG Executive Committee of the site of the 2011 meeting. Organizational activities for the meeting will begin immediately thereafter.

With my best wishes.

Chuck Miller
TDWG Chair on behalf of the Executive Committee

 

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