Subject: You are invited to apply to participate in the First iDigBio Augmenting OCR Hackathon, February 2013

Apply at:http://tinyurl.com/iDigBioAOCRHackathon http://tinyurl.com/PhyloTastic2

Natural Language Parsing, Optical Character Recognition, User Interfaces Fort Worth, Texas in February!

Integrated Digitized Biocollections, iDigBio https://www.idigbio.org/home, along with theBotanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) http://www2.brit.org/ are hosting their 1st hackathon.The iDigBio Augmenting Optical Character Recognition Working Group (AOCR) https://www.idigbio.org/wiki/index.php/Augmenting_OCR invites you to help us improve OCR output and natural language parsing of natural history museum's specimen label data. Be a part of helping to get "dark data" out of millions of museum cabinets and into online databases.

Who can participate? We're looking for scientists, citizen scientists, information scientists, software engineers, students, faculty, post-docs, and staff of both genders and from different backgrounds. While we need hackers who write great code, we are also seek individuals who have experience with writing, applying and optimizing natural language processing algorithms, image processing and analysis, as well as: designing user interfaces, testing software, developing tutorials, and documenting user experiences.

Applications are now being accepted for the iDigBio AOCR Hackathon, which will take place February 13-14, 2013 at theBotanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) http://www2.brit.org/. Information on how to apply is provided below. Partial support (and, if funds allow, full support) for travel, food and lodging will be available to each successful applicant who indicates need. We particularly welcome applications from women and members of underrepresented groups.

FYI, this hackathon is being held concurrent withiConference 2013 http://www.ischools.org/iConference13/2013index/ in Fort Worth, where the iDigBio AOCR Working Group is presenting a half-day workshop on February 12th: Help iDigBio Reveal Hidden Data: iDigBio Augmenting OCR Working Group Needs You!

To understand how you might be able to contribute, please review the Google doc at http://tinyurl.com/aocrHack or contact one of the members of the iDigBio AOCR working group (see below).

In Anticipation!, Deborah Paul - on behalf of the iDigBio AOCR working group, BRIT andiConference 2013 http://www.ischools.org/iConference13/2013index/

HOW TO APPLY Before 30 November, 2012 at midnight, EST if possible. Space is limited to 20 people. Please fill out the online form: http://tinyurl.com/iDigBioAOCRHackthon http://tinyurl.com/PhyloTastic2

* The application form asks you to describe how you can contribute to the iDigBio AOCR Hackathon. We are not just looking for coders.

* Support for travel, housing and meals will be available to each successful applicant who indicates need.

* Please understand that your application is not a guarantee of participation in the event. Funds and space are limited: we may not be able to sponsor every individual who is qualified to participate.

* iDigBio AOCR Working Group Contacts Bryan Heidorn,heidorn@email.arizona.edu Edward Gilbert,egbiodiversity@gmail.com Jason Best,jbest@brit.org Deborah Paul,dpaul@fsu.edu