[NHCOLL-L:5695] Call for Applications: VertNet Biodiversity Informatics Training Workshop

[David A. Bloom]

We are excited to announce a call for applications for VertNet’s first
biodiversity informatics workshop. Please share this information with your
colleagues, students, friends, and anyone else whom you believe would be
interested in this opportunity.

The Biodiversity Informatics Training Workshop (BITW), June 24-30, 2012,
will provide participants with the training and experience to work with
primary biodiversity data sources and new tools necessary to become
proficient in biodiversity informatics and conduct biodiversity research.
Led by experienced informaticists and researchers, the BITW will emphasize
the use and analysis of aggregated biodiversity data from VertNet, and other
sources, for a wide of variety of research.

During the course of five days, participants will work closely with trainers
to address compelling biodiversity research questions, focusing on the
entire scope of a research project, from initial data acquisition to tools
for data evaluation to analysis and finally, project dissemination and
outreach. The workshop will include large and small group exercises on a
common curriculum as well as the opportunity for participants to discuss and
explore individual research questions with trainers. During the workshop,
participants will explore and utilize:

   - Data sources for discovery, acquisition, data standards, database
   creation and organization (e.g., VertNet, GBIF, Darwin Core)
   - Organization, analysis, work flow, and data improvement tools
   - Biodiversity measurement and analyses techniques (e.g., species
   richness, turnover)
   - Species distribution modeling approaches
   - Dissemination, education and outreach mechanisms (e.g., citizen
   science)

The goal of the workshop is to provide conceptual frameworks and hands-on
experience on a suite of data sources such as VertNet (including MaNIS,
FishNet, HerpNET, and ORNIS), EOL and Map of Life, and new and developing
software tools such as BioGeomancer, GEOLocate, DivaGIS, Quantum GIS, R
Statistics, ArcGIS, ModEco, Maxent, and OpenModeller.

At the end of the week, participants should leave the workshop with:

   1. an understanding of the evolution of, and the work flows within, a
   research project,
   2. a set of basic skills to use data repositories and informatics and
   analytic tools, and understand which tools are appropriate for tasks
   3. knowledge of the abundant resources and additional training available.

Who should attend?
Advanced undergraduates, recent post baccalaureates, and early-career
graduate students currently working, or interested in a career in a
biodiversity related field, including, but not limited to, ecology,
conservation, geography, biology, environmental science, computer science,
and library science.

Workshop Selection and Support
Acceptance to the BITW is a competitive process and the workshop is limited
to 25 participants.  All applications materials and recommendations must be
received by 11:59pm PT on January 10, 2012 for consideration.  Accepted
participants will be notified in March 2012.  Individuals selected for
participation will receive support to cover reasonable costs for
transportation, accommodations, and per diem.  Accommodations will be
provided on the University of Colorado Boulder (UCB) campus.

Application materials are available at <http://vertnet.org/BITW>
http://vertnet.org/about/BITW.php.  Submit application materials online (
http://vertnet.org/about/BITW.php) or send all completed materials and one
letter of recommendation to dbloom at vertnet.org or David Bloom, VertNet
Coordinator, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UCB, 3101 Valley Life Sciences
Building, Berkeley, CA 94720.
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