Richard Lane, Chair Natural History Museum, London

Scientific Collections International (SciColl)

An international coordinating mechanism

ISBER Rotterdam May 2010

Photo National Ice Core Labratory, USGS

Photo J. Hicks, U.S. Geological Survey

Millenium seed bank Kew

Herbarium, NHM London

Marine Zoology, NHM London

Scientific Collections – key points

• Selected & Structured samples of the world around us

• Vouchers / samples : • repeatable, verifiable

• can be re-examined with new tools (cf observations)

• Source of new knowledge and ideas

• Can be arrayed, distributed infrastructure

Collections are Part of our Scientific Infrastructure

OECD Global Science Forum Scientific Collections initiative

• Proposal by Dutch delegation, GSF-14 (Feb 2006)

• Exploratory workshops: Leiden June 2007, Washington, July 2008 (ISBER presented)

• Approval GSF Oct 2008 for planning

• Planning meetings: London, March 2009 (SciColl); Berlin Sept 2009

Organisation de Coopération et de Développement Economiques Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Strategic planning and programme of work

Mission

help scientific collections and their host institutions increase their effectiveness and the return on investment in the long-term

management of collections

catalyse ground-breaking interdisciplinary research that relies on access to scientific

collections and their associated information.

SciColl: International Coordinating Mechanism

Two main benefits

• Ensure collections are efficient and integrated infrastructures

SciColl: International Coordinating Mechanism

Two main benefits

• Ensure collections are efficient and integrated infrastructures

• Enable more science to be done, especially interdisciplinary research

SciColl: International Coordinating MechanismTwo main benefits

• Ensure collections are efficient and integrated infrastructures

• Enable more science to be done, especially interdisciplinary research

This will lead to the sustainabilty and development of collections

Strategic planning and programme of workWorkplan:

• Best practice in management of collections

• Pilot research project

– Global Environment Change

101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108

Years

Invasive Organisms Emerging Diseases

101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108

Years

Invasive Organisms Emerging Diseases

Anthropogenic Materials

Agriculture Industrialisation

101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108

Years

Invasive Organisms Emerging Diseases

Anthropogenic Materials

Agriculture Industrialisation

Early Agriculture

101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108

Years

Climate Change

Climate Change

Palaeoclimates

101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108

Years

Invasive Organisms Emerging Diseases

Anthropogenic Materials

Climate Change

Agriculture Industrialisation

Early Agriculture Climate Change

Palaeoclimates

Examples of interdisciplinary research programs using collections

• impact of global climate change in specific ecosystems (e.g., shallow seas / deserts / mountains)

• patterns of human migration

• changes in biodiversity, extinctions

• historical epidemiology, especially infectious diseases

• development of forensic tools

• movement of anthropogenic materials in the environment

• geological dynamics

Background – GSF Scientific Collections initiative

• Proposal by Dutch delegation, GSF-14 (Feb 2006)

• Exploratory workshops: Leiden June 2007, Washington, July 2008 (ISBER presented)

• Approval GSF Oct 2008

• Planning meetings: London, March 2009 (SciColl); Berlin Sept 2009

• Scientific Conference Brussels Feb 2010

Workshop: International Coordination of an interdisciplinary

global research Infrastructure

• Feb 2010 at Royal Belgian Institute for the Natural Sciences, Brussels.

• 85 researchers and institutional reps from 36 countries

• Funded: European Science Foundation, US National Science Foundation,

Belgian Science policy Office

• Earth sciences, archaeology, biomedical sciences, biodiversity sciences, anthropology

Workshop: International Coordination of an interdisciplinary

global research InfrastructureResearch using collections:

• Climate, environment and ecosystem change from palaeo proxy collections

• Changing human disease patterns

• Climate and human induced extinctions

• Use of natural history collections for climate change research

Workshop: International Coordination of an interdisciplinary

global research InfrastructureManaging collections:

• Global Biological Resource Centre network – laboratory-based living organisms

• Korean National Research Resource centre

• European network of natural science collections (Synthesys)

Workshop: International Coordination of an interdisciplinary

global research InfrastructureOutcomes:

• Strong support for SciColl concept

• SciColl aligns with

– other infrastructure initiatives (eg. Mapping

European Research Infrastructure Landscape)

– data coordination (GEO, GBIF)

Workshop: International Coordination of an interdisciplinary

global research InfrastructureOutcomes:

• Strong support for SciColl concept

• SciColl aligns with other infrastructure initiatives and data coordination

• Added value of SciColl is connecting different research fields and thereby increasing access– Use ontologies of target topics

– “Yellow pages” as finding tool

Workshop: International Coordination of an interdisciplinary

global research InfrastructureOutcomes:

• Strong support for SciColl concept

• SciColl aligns with other infrastructure initiatives and data coordination

• Added value of SciColl is connecting different research fields and thereby increasing access

• Two or three pilot topics not just one – eg. environmental change and emerging disease

Revised Workplan

Deliverables:

1. A community network of scientific collections

2. Improved quality of collections care

• Improving collections management

• Increased digital access to collections

3. Increased access and usability of collections

4. Catalysed new interdisciplinary research

• Two or three pilot topics

Developing Governance and sustainability

• Governance

Governance and management

Executive Board

Scientific Advisory

Board

Secretariat

Work Programme

General Assembly

Work Programme

agreesproposes

advises

runs

directs

Developing Governance and sustainability

• Governance

• Financial contributions

– governments based on GERD

– institutions based on size

Category

GERD (latest

available figs)

Countries (examples) Expected contribution

(€ p.a.)

1 > $50 billion USA, Japan, Germany, China

90 k€

2 $18-50 billion Canada, France, Italy, Korea, Russia, UK

40 k€

3 $7.5-18 billion

Australia, Austria, Israel, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

20 k€

4 < $7.5 billion Belgium, Finland, Singapore, South Africa, Portugal, Norway, Poland

10 k€

Category Operational budget, including staff [US$]

Staff number on collections [additional indicator]

Institutions (examples)

Expected Contribution€ (p.a.)

Large -1 >$5 million >150 NHM, SI, MNHN, IODP

16k

Medium - 2 $1 million - $5 million

50-150 MfN Berlin, Naturalis, NICL

8k

Medium-small - 3

$200k - $1 million

10-50 INBIO, NMK, University of New Mexico

4k

Small - 4 <$200k <10 Linnean Society London,

2k

For consortia, the annual financial contribution will be determined in agreement with the Executive Board

Timeline and MilestonesPhase 1 - exploration Feb 2006-Oct 2008

Phase 2 – organisational planning and community consultation Oct 2008 – April 2010

Phase 3 - Membership development April – November 2010

• May 2010: invitation to submit letters of intent to join SciColl

• August/ Sept 2010: when sufficient commitment establish Interim Executive Board

• August/ Sept 2010: launch of request for proposals to host SciColl Secretariat

• November 2010: Selection of Secretariat Host

• [Sept/ Oct steering committee and workshop in Australia]

Phase 4 – Organisational launch

• Nov. 2010: Advertisement for post of SciColl Executive Director • Early 2011: official launch of SciColl (establishment of Secretariat)

Questions?