Save the dates: the annual Biodiversity Information Standards Conference goes online!
TDWG 2020 will be a virtual conference divided into working sessions (Sep 21-25) followed by a second week dedicated to dissemination and sharing (Oct 19-23).
Standards that describe and support the exchange of biodiversity information are a critical scientific infrastructure. They enable data to be integrated in support of research, as well as decision-making and planning for conservation. Ultimately, standards extend the usability of data across taxa, scientific disciplines, and administrative boundaries.
The annual Biodiversity Information Standards (organized by TDWG) will serve two purposes:
- to provide a forum for developing, refining, and extending standards in response to new challenges and opportunities; and
- to provide a showcase for biodiversity informatics – much of which relies on the standards created by TDWG and other organizations.
This year, TDWG 2020 Conference will be virtual — a collection of online working sessions, webinar-style symposia, presentations, panel discussions, and recorded presentations.
Working sessions will be scheduled during the week of September 21-25, and dissemination sessions will be scheduled the week of October 19-23.
Call for Contributions
| Session Dates | Session Type | Submission Deadline |
|
September 21-25 | Working Sessions Introduction to TDWG, Workshops, and Training TDWG Interest & Task Group (I/TG) sessions Hackathons “Birds of a Feather” meeting — to organize a new Interest Group |
Working Session proposals due August 1 |
|
October 19-23 | Dissemination Sessions Symposia and Panel Discussions Contributed Presentations (all astracts) E-Posters, etc. Plenary sessions Business meeitng, including I/TG reports |
Dissemination Session Proposals Due June 19 Abstracts due August 1 |
Working Sessions for Interest/Task Groups, Workshops, and Hackathons
Working sessions will be structured as meetings in which all participants can be enabled to speak. Requests to convene working sessions (including interest and task groups) during the week of September 21-25 should be submitted through a short survey. All I/TG proposals should be endorsed, if not submitted, by the I/TG convener. The survey will close August 1, and a draft schedule of working sessions will be posted on August 17.
Symposia, Panel Discussions, Lightning Talks, etc.
Proposals to organize one or more sessions during the week of October 19-23 are being collected via a second short survey. This survey will remain open until June 19. Organizers should note the locations and time zones of all known significant contributors. They should also indicate whether the session already has a full complement of contributors, or whether other relevant talks may be considered for inclusion.
Individual Contributions (Presentations, E-Posters)
Abstracts are required for all presentations and e-posters, including those that are part of a symposium, and should be submitted through the Pensoft ARPHA system for BISS. The call for individual contributions will be posted June 22nd and will close August 1. Detailed instructions for making submissions through ARPHA will be distributed and posted online before the call opens.
Free Registration
Registration will be required to participate in the online events, but registration will be free. The services required to run an online conference, however, are not free. So we encourage all participants to become TDWG members, either by affiliation with an institutional member or by paying individual membership dues for the 2020 calendar year (\$75). Request an invoice to pay membership online, and help TDWG defray the cost of running the conference.
More information here.