Richard Lane, Chair Natural History Museum, London

1. ISBER Rotterdam May 2010 Scientific Collections International (SciColl) An international coordinating mechanism Richard Lane, Chair Natural History Museum, London

2. Herbarium, NHM London Marine Zoology, NHM London Millenium seed bank Kew Photo National Ice Core Labratory, USGS Photo J. Hicks, U.S. Geological Survey

3. 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

4. Collections are Part of our Scientific Infrastructure

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

6. 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.

7. SciColl: International Coordinating Mechanism Two main benefits • Ensure collections are efficient and integrated infrastructures

8. SciColl: International Coordinating Mechanism Two main benefits • Ensure collections are efficient and integrated infrastructures • Enable more science to be done, especially interdisciplinary research

9. SciColl: International Coordinating Mechanism Two 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

10. Strategic planning and programme of work Workplan: • Best practice in management of collections • Pilot research project • Global Environment Change

11. Invasive Organisms Emerging Diseases 105 104 106 103 108 101 102 107 Years

12. Invasive Organisms Emerging Diseases 105 104 106 103 108 101 102 107 Years Anthropogenic Materials Agriculture Industrialisation

13. Invasive Organisms Emerging Diseases 105 104 106 103 108 101 102 107 Years Anthropogenic Materials Early Agriculture Agriculture Industrialisation

14. 105 104 106 103 108 101 102 107 Years Climate Change Palaeoclimates Climate Change

15. Invasive Organisms Emerging Diseases 105 104 106 103 108 101 102 107 Years Anthropogenic Materials Climate Change Palaeoclimates Early Agriculture Climate Change Agriculture Industrialisation

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. Workshop: International Coordination of an interdisciplinary global research Infrastructure Research 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

20. Workshop: International Coordination of an interdisciplinary global research Infrastructure Managing collections: • Global Biological Resource Centre network – laboratory-based living organisms • Korean National Research Resource centre • European network of natural science collections (Synthesys)

21. Workshop: International Coordination of an interdisciplinary global research Infrastructure Outcomes: • Strong support for SciColl concept • SciColl aligns with • other infrastructure initiatives (eg. Mapping European Research Infrastructure Landscape) • data coordination (GEO, GBIF)

22. Workshop: International Coordination of an interdisciplinary global research Infrastructure Outcomes: • Strong support for SciColl concept • SciColl aligns with other infrastructure initiatives and data coordination • Added value of SciColl is connectingdifferent research fields and thereby increasing access • Use ontologies of target topics • “Yellow pages” as finding tool

23. Workshop: International Coordination of an interdisciplinary global research Infrastructure Outcomes: • Strong support for SciColl concept • SciColl aligns with other infrastructure initiatives and data coordination • Added value of SciColl is connectingdifferent research fields and thereby increasing access • Two or three pilot topics not just one – eg. environmental change and emerging disease

24. Revised Workplan Deliverables: • A community network of scientific collections • Improved quality of collections care • Improving collections management • Increased digital access to collections • Increased access and usability of collections • Catalysed new interdisciplinary research • Two or three pilot topics

25. Developing Governance and sustainability • Governance

26. Governance and management Secretariat Scientific Advisory Board Executive Board directs advises runs agrees proposes Work Programme Work Programme General Assembly Work Programme

27. Developing Governance and sustainability • Governance • Financial contributions • governments based on GERD • institutions based on size

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

30. Timeline and Milestones Phase 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)

31. Questions?