Jan 2022 DivSeek International Network launches DivSeek Commons as an ‘Ecosystem of Standards, Open Data Resources, Analysis Tools and Best Practices‘ for Plant Genetic Resources (PGR)
Why?
- The landscape of tools, resources and expertise that have evolved to serve the conservation, collection management and downstream uses of PGR are dispersed across different interest communities.
- F.A.I.R. tools and resources for open data sharing and exchange are becoming more available, but still patchy
- Interoperability between informatic tools and data resources is a key issue
- Co-develop data and information tools, resources and standards
- Increase community sharing of expertise and use cases
- Lower the barriers for different user communities to access and make use of data-informed resources – NGA (non-geek access)
- The requirements of the genebank, reasearcher, breeder and wider stakeholder communities are multi-faceted.
- No single approach is likely to provide universal solutions across the broad PGR community
- Matching process and implementation to policy is a non-trivial task, and a moving target as ideas and use-cases are refined
- Rapid technological advances in genomics, phenomics and information technology are providing new opportunities to increase information content and connectivity
What?
- Publish and maintain a comprehensive inventory of available tools, resources, standards and training materials that describe ecosystem associated with the PGR/DivSeek landscape
- Provide a forum for encouraging greater interoperability, and for identifying gaps in the ecosystem of tools, resources and standards to support information exchange from PGR to end use
- Aligned with the three major Strategic Goals of DivSeek
- Showcase outputs associated with DivSeek Objectives outlined in 5-year Strategic Plan
- Ensuring tools, resources and standards enhance the FAIR capability for the PGR community
- Identify specific proposals, tasks or actions that may extend DivSeek Objectives
- including via DivSeek Concept Notes
- See the introductory Traditional Knowledge & Biocultural (TK/BC) Labels Initiative page
Who?
- DivSeek Members, Observers and anyone in the PGR and wider Stakeholder communities
- We have an open call for volunteers with any relevant expertise to help in the establishment and ongoing operation of DivSeek Commons. This includes those who may wish to help coordinate specific aspects such as the GitHub repository.
Where?
- Engagement via this website, including links to ‘live’ editable Google-docs.
- We are establishing a DivSeek Commons portal on GitHub. This will provide:
- an interactive forum for recorded online discussion of specific issues
- links to Member and associated GitHub resources
- a repository of DivSeek specific outcomes (may include reference standards, protocols, optimal practice guidelines, training materials).
- Proposals from Members and Stakeholders via the DivSeek Concept Note system
When?
- Ongoing, from official launch at Jan 2022 AGM
- We expect DivSeek Commons to become the shop window and repository for many DivSeek activities
More details, pages, links and resources are being posted here in Jan 2022, following our AGM and roundtable Workshops