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Potential student funding for TDWG2005
by Rob Guralnick 24 Jun '05

24 Jun '05

Potential underrepresented student support for September 2005 Meeting of the Taxonomic Data Working Group (TDWG), St. Petersburg, Russia. We have applied for assistance to the U.S. National Science Foundation to fund up to $3,000 per student for approximately 8 underrepresented (based on gender, ethnicity, disability, and geography) undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students working in or proposing biodiversity informatics projects, to attend the TDWG meetings from September 11-18, 2005 in St. Petersburg, Russia. See http://www.tdwg.org/2005meet/TDWG_2005_Intro.html for the meeting program. The focus of the meeting is on the provisioning and quality of biodiversity data. Provisional symposiums are listed on the web page. Underrepresented students at U.S. institutions who are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents are invited to submit an application describing their studies or research projects in biology or computer science and a brief paragraph about how they expect attendance could further their work. We will especially consider applicants not traditionally included in the taxonomic and informatics community. Application requirements: - Total narrative should not exceed one page (when formated in 12-point Times Roman, single spaced text on an 8.5x11" page with 1" margins) - If relevant, include at most one additional page of references to web links describing projects in which they participate, and papers on which they are joint authors. - Applications may be accompanied by up to two letters of recommendation from faculty members or other professionals aware of the projects described in the narrative and commenting on the student's role and expected benefit. Please send documents in PDF or a format openable in MSWord to Dr. Robert Guralnick (Robert.Guralnick(a)colorado.edu) by July 3. Awards will be announced by July 8. Applications will be evaluated by a committee composed of Rob Guralnick, Robert A. Morris from the University of Massachusetts at Boston, Annie Simpson at the National Biological Information Infrastructure, Gerald Guala at the US Department of Agriculture and Ginger Ogle at the University of California at Berkeley.

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Museum Informatics Job Announcement
by Adrian Rissone 13 Jun '05

13 Jun '05

Fowarded from Anna Weitzman: Apologies for cross-posting. Please circulate widely. The Informatics Branch of the Information Technology office of the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) expects to fill one (or more) positions. The position is open for applications as of 10 June 2005 and will close on 1 July 2005. A summary of the position follows. The full announcement with duties, qualifications, and information about how to apply can be found at <http://ohr.si.edu/vaclib/sivacancy.cfm>http://ohr.si.edu/vaclib/sivacancy.cfm under 05JW-1141 IT Specialist. The position is located at NMNH's main building in Washington, DC. - supports the Research & Collections Information Systems (RCIS) which uses KE Software's Electronic Museum (EMu) software - assists with user and operations training, including in reports development in Crystal Reports - assists with analyzing data structures in current systems and developing data reconfiguration plans for migration to RCIS - coordinates and/or assists with development and maintenance of user and help desk documentation - tests EMu upgrades and deliverables, including customization and other changes to the system Anna L. Weitzman, Ph.D. Informatics Branch Chief, National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012 Natural History Building, Room 544, MRC 136 Washington, DC 20013-7012 U.S.A. phone: (202) 633-0846 fax: (202) 786-3180 email: <mailto:weitzman@si.edu>weitzman(a)si.edu electronic Biologia Centrali-Americana - <http://www.sil.si.edu/digitalcollections/bca/>http://www.sil.si.edu/digitalcollections/bca/

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TDWG 2005 - IMPORTANT MESSAGE RE: HOTEL BOOKING E-MAIL
by Adrian Rissone 08 Jun '05

08 Jun '05

TDWG 2005 - St. Petersburg, Russia, 11-18 September 2005 Dear Colleague, Contact Preference Announcement: You are receiving this bulk message because, recently or in the past few years, you have expressed interest in attending an Annual Meeting of the Taxonomic Database Working Group (TDWG). If you would prefer to NOT receive messages from the TDWG with regard to meetings please accept my apologies for troubling you and send e-mail to me at this address: A.Rissone(a)nhm.ac.uk with Subject line "TDWG - Remove from mailing list" This important message is addressed specifically to anyone who sent e-mail to the recommended hotel focal point (<mailto:shelfort@peterstar.ru>shelfort(a)peterstar.ru) during the period 2 June - 8 June 2005. Unfortunately, due to technical problems at the hotel all incoming e-mails were lost. If you sent mail to the hotel and have not received a reply please contact them again immediately. Regards, Adrian Rissone Secretary and Meeting Coordinator Taxonomic Databases Working Group E-mail: A.Rissone(a)nhm.ac.uk with Subject line "TDWG 2005" (please do NOT reply to this listserv, which is for distribution only)

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TDWG 2005 - reminder - deadline for Abstracts 15 June, hotel booking 10 July
by Adrian Rissone 07 Jun '05

07 Jun '05

TDWG 2005 - St. Petersburg, Russia, 11-18 September 2005 Dear Colleague, You are receiving this message because, recently or in the past few years, you have expressed interest in attending an Annual Meeting of the Taxonomic Database Working Group (TDWG). If you would prefer to NOT receive messages from the TDWG with regard to meetings please accept my apologies for troubling you and send e-mail to me at this address: A.Rissone(a)nhm.ac.uk with Subject line "TDWG - Remove from mailing list" Please note the following important deadlines. Deadlines: 15 June 2005: submission of abstracts to be complete (http://www.tdwg.org/2005meet/TDWG_2005_Abstracts.html) 10 July 2005: hotel bookings to be complete (to allow time for visa processing) (http://www.tdwg.org/2005meet/TDWG_2005_TravelAccom.html) It is STRONGLY recommended that you complete your hotel booking and get your visa application started in the next few days. We have been advised that some Russian Consulates are experiencing delays which are likely to get worse as the main tourist season gets under way. You will also see on the meeting site a request for pre-registration. Please pre-register if you can. The full Registration Site will be available in June. We look forward to seeing you in St. Petersburg! Regards, Adrian Rissone Secretary and Meeting Coordinator Taxonomic Databases Working Group E-mail: A.Rissone(a)nhm.ac.uk with Subject line "TDWG 2005" (please do NOT reply to this listserv, which is for distribution only)

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Call for Applications: TDWG Architect and TDWG Project Manager
by Donald Hobern 24 May '05

24 May '05

Call for Applications: TDWG Architect and TDWG Project Manager -------------------------------------------------------------- Background ---------- The Taxonomic Databases Working Group (TDWG, http://www.tdwg.org) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF, http://www.gbif.org) have received funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (http://www.moore.org) to undertake a review and modernization of the TDWG standards development process and to establish new support infrastructure and tools for its subgroups. This project will take place over a two-and-a-half year period and includes funding for the following activities: - Revising TDWGs activities to ensure that all data standards are managed according to well-defined best-practice processes - Establishing web-based collaboration tools to support the work of the TDWG subgroups - TDWG subgroup meetings to work on standards development - Developing software components and writing technical documentation to support the use of TDWG data standards - Developing standards and infrastructure for the use of globally unique identifiers in TDWG data standards - Establishing long-term support and funding for TDWG operations The grant includes funding for two TDWG staff (an Architect and a Project Manager) to coordinate these activities and to manage the necessary contracts with software developers and technical authors. The TDWG staff will work closely with the TDWG Executive Committee, TDWG subgroup conveners, and GBIF Secretariat. The host location will be determined in part by the availability and suitability of candidates. TDWG and GBIF are therefore issuing this call for applications for these roles. The positions have been designated as Architect and Project Manager, but the emphasis will be on identifying candidates who together will be able to coordinate the listed activities. Requirements ------------ Since TDWGs mission relates to the development of biodiversity data standards for use in web-based applications, candidates are expected to show understanding of biodiversity informatics and of a wide range of the following standards and technologies: - Familiarity with: - Either: TDWG standards (DiGIR/BioCASe/TAPIR data exchange Protocols; Darwin Core; Access to Biological Collection Data [ABCD] schema; Taxon Concept Schema [TCS]; Structured Descriptive Data [SDD] schema) - Or: standards development processes in other communities (e.g. IETF, W3C, OMG, (N)ISO, OGC) - Working knowledge of HTML, website development and management, and Internet-based collaboration technologies (including mailing lists, wikis, content management systems, CVS) - Application of information modelling methodologies (e.g., ERD, IDEF1X, ORM, UML) - Familiarity with XML (including XML Schema, XPath, XSLT, XQuery) - Knowledge of Web services (including SOAP, WSDL, UDDI), OGC Geography Markup Language (including Web Feature Service), Grid Technologies, and programming languages (e.g., Java, Python, PHP) Candidates should also be able to demonstrate the following: - Experience working as part of a team and promoting collaborative endeavours. - Skills in negotiation and management. - Inter-cultural communication skills, including a good command of English. - Familiarity with the theory and practice of biological taxonomy (or systematics) and nomenclature, biological collections, and of biological data management. Prior experience in IT development and/or project management will be an advantage. Candidates should be prepared to undertake international travel to attend working meetings and to represent TDWG at relevant workshops and conferences. How to apply ------------ Interested applicants should send the following by e-mail to Donald Hobern, GBIF Programme Officer for Data Access and Database Interoperability (dhobern(a)gbif.org): - Curriculum vitae - Description of how you fulfil the requirements listed above - Description of the strengths you can bring to the project - Indication of whether you would be able to relocate to take up the position - Benefits and salary expectation The closing date for applications is 18 June 2005. Interviews will take place in late June or early July. --------------------------------------------------------------- Donald Hobern (dhobern(a)gbif.org) Programme Officer for Data Access and Database Interoperability Global Biodiversity Information Facility Secretariat Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark Tel: +45-35321483 Mobile: +45-28751483 Fax: +45-35321480 ---------------------------------------------------------------

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Taxonomic Databases Working Group Meeting 2005 - book your hotel!
by Adrian Rissone 24 May '05

24 May '05

TDWG 2005 - St. Petersburg, Russia, 11-18 September 2005 Dear Colleague, Book your hotel! I have received notice from our colleagues in St Petersburg that hotels (including the ones we are recommending close to the Zoological Institute) are filling up rapidly. They recommend you book as soon as possible to avoid having to make a long daily journey to the meeting venue. You are also reminded that you will require an "invitation" from the hotel in order to obtain a visa to enter Russia and that the subsequent visa application process can take several weeks in some cases. We look forward to seeing you in St. Petersburg! Regards, Adrian Rissone Secretary and Meeting Coordinator Taxonomic Databases Working Group http://www.tdwg.org/2005meet/TDWG_2005_Intro.htm E-mail: A.Rissone(a)nhm.ac.uk with Subject line "TDWG 2005" (please do NOT reply to this listserv, which is for distribution only)

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Digital Curation Centre Workshop on Unique Identifiers
by Adrian Rissone 19 May '05

19 May '05

Some of you may be interested in this workshop to be held in Glasgow, UK, at the end of June 2005: >From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:MCG@JISCMAIL.AC.UK]On Behalf Of Joy >Davidson >Sent: 19 May 2005 15:47 >To: MCG(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK >Subject: DCC Workshop on Persistent Identifiers - Registration now open > > >**Apologies for Cross-Posting** > >DCC Workshop on Persistent Identifiers >30 June 1 July 2005 >Wolfson Medical Building, University of Glasgow >http://www.dcc.ac.uk/piworkshop.html > >Registration is now open at http://www.dcc.ac.uk/piregistration.html > >The Digital Curation Centre is pleased to announce that it will be >delivering a two-day workshop on long term-curation and persistent >identifiers. This event will be held in Glasgow from 30 June 1 July 2005. >This event is being held in cooperation with the Electronic Resource >Preservation and Access Network (ERPANET), the National Information >Standards Organization (NISO), the Centre for Educational Technology >Interoperability Standards (CETIS) and UKOLN. > >The persistent identification of digital information can play a vital role >in enabling its long-term accessibility and re-use. In recent years, there >have been fragmented attempts to define a set of basic requirements for >persistently identifying digital information. While workshops by CETIS and >ERPANET have helped to highlight some of the major issues involved with >persistent identification over time, widespread agreement on basic >requirements has yet to be achieved. In an attempt to build upon the results >of these two events and to help coordinate future efforts, the DCC, ERPANET, >NISO, and CETIS are working together to deliver a series of related events >which aim to establish wider agreement of some common requirements for >creating globally unique, persistent identifiers. The results of this event >will be used as a starting point for the upcoming NISO pre-standards >workshop on the same topic (to be held in September 2005). > >Benefits of Attendance >The workshop will benefit anyone who creates or manages access to digital >resources including librarians, archivists, scientists, publishers and >staff from higher and further education and government institutions. >Participants will help to set the agenda for the future development of >persistent identifiers and help to draft an initial model for the assignment >and long-term maintenance of persistent identifiers. > >Dates >This workshop will be held over two days starting on Thursday 30 June and >finishing on Friday 1 July 2005. > >Format >The workshop will provide a series of focused case studies, presentations >and interactive breakout sessions. A handbook of additional resources will >be made available to participants outlining international projects, tools >and identification systems. > >Key themes include: >-Shared understanding key terms and concepts >-Use cases from a range of perspectives >-Developing workflow and conceptual models for the assignment and >maintenance of persistent identifiers >-Ensuring persistence over time > >Speakers for this event include: >-Peter Buneman, DCC Associate Director - Research, School for Informatics, >University of Edinburgh >-Charles Duncan, Director, Intrallect >-David Giaretta, DCC Associate Director - Development, Space Data, Space >Science and Technology Department, CCLRC >-Stefan Gradmann, Head of the Virtual Library Unit at Hamburg University >-John Kunze, Preservation Technologies Architect, California Digital Library >-Michael Lautenschlager, Director, World Climate Data Centre at the >Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie >-Norman Paskin, Director, International DOI Foundation (IDF) >-Andy Powell, Assistant Director and Team Leader, Distributed Systems and >Services Team, UKOLN >-Sean Reilly, Research Scientist, Corporation for National Research >Initiatives (CNRI) >-Rick Rodgers, National Library of Medicine >-Mackenzie Smith, Associate Director for Technology, MIT Libraries >-Henry Thomson, HCRC Language Technology Group, University of Edinburgh and >W3C Team >-Stuart Weibel, Consulting Research Scientist, Online Computer Library >Centre (OCLC) > >Programme Committee: >-Peter Burnhill, Director, EDINA, UK >-Joy Davidson, Training Coordinator, Digital Curation Centre (DCC), UK >-Lorna Campbell, Assistant Director SIGs and Content, CETIS, UK >-Pat Harris, Director, National Information Standards Organization (NISO), >USA >-John Kunze, Preservation Technologies Architect, California Digital >Library, USA >-Lawrence Lannom, Director of Information Management Technology Corporation >for National Research Initiatives (CNRI), USA >-Norman Paskin, Director International DOI Foundation, UK >-Rick Rodgers, National Library of Medicine, USA >-Seamus Ross, DCC Associate Director Services, UK >-Stuart Weibel, Consulting Research Scientist, Online Computer Library >Center (OCLC), USA > >Venue >This event will be held at the Wolfson Medical Building, University of >Glasgow. Travel information, campus and city maps may be found at >http://www.gla.ac.uk/general/maps/index.html. > >Registration >Registration fees for this two-day workshop are £75 for DCC Associate >Network members and £125 for non-members. These fees include all workshop >materials and handouts, lunch and refreshments for both days. Membership of >the DCC Associates Network is free and more information on becoming a member >can be found at http://www.dcc.ac.uk/network.html. > >Register for this Workshop at http://www.dcc.ac.uk/piregistration.html. > >*************************************************************************** * >**************************** >Joy Davidson >DCC Training Coordinator and ERPANET British Editor >Humanities Advanced Technology and Information Institute (HATII) >George Service House, 11 University Gardens, >University of Glasgow >Glasgow G12 8QJ >Scotland >Tel: +44(0)141 330 8592 >Fax: +44(0)141 330 3788 >http://www.dcc.ac.uk >http://www.erpanet.org

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TDWG Annual Meeting 2005 - update [17 May 2005]
by Adrian Rissone 16 May '05

16 May '05

TDWG Annual Meeting 2005 - update [17 May 2005] I have posted important additional information on the TDWG 2005 Meeting web site at: http://www.tdwg.org/2005meet/TDWG_2005_Intro.htm concerning travel and hotel arrangements, and submission of abstracts. It is important that you read this information if you wish to attend the meeting in September, as it describes the procedure that will be necessary to book hotel accommodation and obtain a visa to enter Russia. Please note that, although it will be quick for most delegates using the system we have devised, nationals of some countries will require several months to obtain a Russian visa. More information will be available soon so keep checking back. Deadlines: 15 June 2005: submission of abstracts to be complete 10 July 2005: hotel bookings to be complete (to allow time for visa processing) You will also see on the site a request for pre-registration. Please pre- register if you can. The full Registration Site will be available in June. We look forward to seeing you in St. Petersburg! Regards, Adrian Rissone Secretary and Meeting Coordinator Taxonomic Databases Working Group

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Moore Foundation Support of TDWG -- A new era dawns
by Jim Beach 10 May '05

10 May '05

Congratulations are indeed in order for spectactular recent news of Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation funding for TDWG's standards development activities. Kudos to the matchmakers, Stan Blum, Walter Berendsohn, Donald Hobern, among others for approaching the GBMF for support, and kudos to recent GBMF Program Manager John Marchioni for recognizing the societal and research value of a stable, supported, biodiversity informatics network infrastructure. Great job, great insight, and congratulations all. I find it most heartening however, in the face of all of the challenges that we constantly face with funding, technology development, deployment and support, to realize that TDWG's first meeting was held 20 years ago, in 1985, as a 'blue sky' vision primarily of Professors Vernon Heywood and Frank Bisby. All of us who work in this field owe a debt of gratitude to them for their inspiration to imagine a standards-based, global architecture, and for their determination to strive over many years, with all those who followed and toiled, to make it real. Jim Beach Biodiversity Research Center University of Kansas

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2nd Quarter New Titles from The Blackburn Press PLUS Free Shipping
by Blackburn Press 04 May '05

04 May '05

The Blackburn Press Announces the Reprinting of a Biology Classic: The Art of Scientific Investigation by William I.B. Beveridge, ISBN 1-932846-05-0, paperback, 178 pages In The Art of Scientific Investigation, originally published in 1950, W.I.B. Beveridge explores the development of the intuitive side in scientists. The author's object is to show how the minds of humans can best be harnessed to the processes of scientific discovery. This book therefore centers on the "human factor"; the individual scientist. The book reveals the basic principles and mental techniques that are common to most types of investigation. Professor Beveridge discusses great discoveries and quotes the experiences of numerous scientists. "The virtue of Mr. Beveridge's book is that it is not dogmatic. A free and universal mind looks at scientific investigation as a creative art. . . ." The New York Times This and other mathematics and statistical titles are available at http://www.blackburnpress.com/mast.html Free shipping until May 30 in the United States; use Code "ShipFree" when ordering. This book is available from Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1932846050/qid%3D1109345621/sr%3D11-1 /ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/103-5317424-9474238 Also available from The Blackburn Press: The Growing Plant Cell Wall by Stephen C. Fry, ISBN 1-930665-08-3, paperback; 330 pages First published in 1988 and now known as a classic, Stephen Fry presents, in considerable practical detail, a wealth of information on methods for the preparation and analysis of plant cell walls and their constituents. The topics include: the isolation and purification of structural constituents, enzymes and metabolites; radiolabelling; an introduction to tissue culture techniques; the chemical characterization of polymers and biosynthetic intermediates. "Stephen Fry has written an invaluable book on the analytical techniques available in this important research field. This is an excellent book for the typical modern biologist." J. Experimental Biology "This book will be of considerable value to anyone engaged in the analysis of plant cell walls." Ann. Botany "For those who intend to do any practical cell wall analysis this book will be an invaluable laboratory manual." Plant Pathology These and other biology titles are available at http://www.blackburnpress.com/biologybooks.html Free shipping until May 30 in the United States; use Code "ShipFree" when ordering. This book is available from Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1930665083/qid%3D1114793506/sr%3D11-1 /ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/102-7030044-6887357 Plant Structure: Function and Development, by J.A. Romberger, Z. Hejnowicz, and J.F. Hill, ISBN 1-930665-95-4, paperback; 524 pages Originally published in 1993, and long out-of-print, this book has become a classic. The book covers the developmental anatomy of large, complex plants, particularly of perennial shrubs and trees that grow and survive for decades and centuries. The book is focused on the meaning of that anatomy, the integrated structure, as a determinant of effective function. A pervading theme is that the plant structures that have "survived" evolution within the larger context of geologic and climatic evolution are well attuned to biochemical and biophysical principles that determine and define efficient function. This book is intended for those who have already studied the anatomy and development of plants. It is addressed to advanced students, teachers and researchers in the broad, interrelated fields of botany, forestry, horticulture and agronomy, and to others having professional interests in the culture of woody plants and the stewardship of ecosystems. It is especially addressed to those who, by study and research, seek to narrow the wide gap between the cellular and molecular biology approaches to understanding the format and content of inherited information, and the actual morphogenesis and integrated functioning of higher plant organisms. "Plant Structure: Function and Development, first published in 1993, remained in print for such a short time that many of us missed the opportunity to purchase a copy (I have been working with a tattered photocopy for the past 7 years). The authors note in the preface that "complex plants, particularly woody plants . . . have survived eons of organismal evolution" and as such "are well attuned to biochemical and biophysical principles that determine and define efficient function." Too often plant anatomy has been treated in isolation from its' all-important functional significance. The authors of this book provide a welcome and well-developed bridge between structure and physiology, as well as providing the developmental aspects critical to a complete understanding. Not only does the book provide valuable insights for biologists studying extant plants (including applied areas of horticulture, agronomy and forest biology), but it is also, in my view, a valuable resource for paleobotanists, particularly those interested the rapidly growing area of paleo-ecophysiology. Often woody plants are given only cursory attention in plant structure texts, but not so here. Both Romberger and Hejnowicz spent their professional careers studying woody plants, and their insights are critical to the success of this treatise. Although the book is primarily a very turgid reference source, it could also serve as a text for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses - and then would become a valuable library addition for those students." Richard Jagels Professor of Forest Biology University of Maine These and other botany titles are available at http://www.blackburnpress.com/botany.html Free shipping until May 30 in the United States; use Code "ShipFree" when ordering. This book is available from Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1930665954/qid%3D1114800175/sr%3D11-1 /ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/102-7030044-6887357 The Blackburn Press was founded with the mission of keeping in print and available for purchase book titles that larger publishers have lost interest in and have declared "out-of-print." We specialize in scientific, medical, and technical books and textbooks. The Blackburn Press is interested in hearing of other titles we might consider returning to print. Your suggestions are welcome. Thank you. Mary S. Donovan The Blackburn Press Publishers of classic scientific and technical books Post Office Box 287 Caldwell, NJ 07006 Tel: 973-228-7077 Fax: 973-228-7276 E-mail: mdonovan(a)blackburnpress.com Explore the latest additions to our list at www.Blackburnpress.com All of our books are available at www.Amazon.com

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