iDigBio Workshop Request Process

Overview

iDigBio supports workshops, symposia, and other events to achieve its goals and objectives ("workshops" is a term used to refer to any/all of these types of events). Workshops are distinct events that produce clear deliverables, address clear objectives, incur project expenses, and/or significantly utilize project resources. A planning committee, often consisting of members of an iDigBio Working Group, coordinates, organizes, plans, and executes the workshop plan and ensures follow-through to achieve the outcomes and action items.

A workshop proposal is required for any workshop, symposia, or event that will incur any project expense or significantly utilize project resources. Please review this Workshop Request Process document before submitting your proposal via the Workshop Proposal Webform.

Proposal Process

Workshop proposals are accepted throughout the year, but already approved events take precedence and will limit funding and scheduling availability for new events.

1. Conceive of a workshop idea in collaboration with colleagues and members of the biodiversity community.
2. Review the summaries of previous iDigBio Workshops to ensure your workshop idea has not already been covered. If your idea has already been covered, then you may provide justification in your proposal as to why the topic should be covered again.
3. Establish proposed dates for the workshop, and double-check the iDigBio Calendar for potential conflicts.
4. Write your proposal following the guidelines provided in this document.
5. Upload your proposal for review by the iDigBio Steering Committee using the Workshop Proposal Webform. Proposals are accepted in digital format only and are uploaded via the webform.

Proposal Review

Workshop proposals are reviewed by the iDigBio Steering Committee at the monthly Steering Committee Meetings. Proposals are evaluated by the extent to which they:

• Address important and outstanding issues relevant to the Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections (ADBC) program in domains such as technology, outreach, biological/paleontological research, digitization processes/standards, and sustainability
• Contain specific objectives and expected outcomes with a plan for leadership and follow-through
• Are not readily supported by other funding mechanisms or opportunities, or provide complementary sources of funding where co-sponsorship makes sense and can help achieve the goals and objectives
• Demonstrate that sufficient resources are available to address the topic
• Incorporate a diverse and multi-disciplinary group of participants that goes beyond existing collaborations, including public and private domains, policy makers, emerging scientists, and underrepresented groups
• Will produce clear deliverables in the following broad categories:
  • Optimization of bio/paleo collection digitization and data mobilization processes and workflows
  • Development of functional and technical requirements for the iDigBio portal, iDigBio appliances, and/or technology integration within the ADBC community
  • Outreach, Citizen Science, and training
  • Integration of existing technology and information into the iDigBio toolset
  • Identification and analysis of digitization technology gaps
  • Development of tools for research use of digitized specimen data

Inclusions

iDigBio staff and facilities are available to assist with scheduling, facilitating, and managing many of the logistics associated with workshops when given the required amount of notice. Onsite workshops should be held at the iDigBio facilities in Gainesville, Florida, or co‐located at existing events where the majority of meeting participants are already in attendance. Justification for selection of the workshop venue should be included in the proposal.

Participant Support includes travel and subsistence (e.g., airfare, lodging, ground transportation, meals, etc.), which will be reimbursed in accordance with iDigBio’s Travel Policy.

Exclusions

• iDigBio does not fund collection, curation, or digitization of specimens.
• iDigBio does not provide sub-awards and does not pay overhead costs.
• iDigBio does not provide honoraria, stipends, or other salary support.

Proposal Guidelines

Proposals should be short (less than five single‐spaced pages) and should include the following (mandatory fields are marked with *):

• *Title – Title of your proposed workshop, symposium, or other event, including an optional "shorthand" version of your title (in parentheses).
• *Organizers – Names and contact information for the lead organizer, any co-organizers, and the primary point-of-contact..
• *Summary – Summary of your proposed workshop, symposium, or other event.
• *Goals and Outcomes – Summary of the workshop's relevance to the ADBC community, goals/objectives, and expected outcomes.
• *Activities – Summary of the anticipated activities/tasks expected to address the topic, which may include pre‐workshop planning, workshop activities and topics, post-workshop tasks, and final report.
  • *Final Report – Any proposal receiving funding is required to submit a final workshop report within 2 weeks of workshop completion. The report will be used for iDigBio’s website and reports to funding agencies. The report must include:
    • List of participants
    • Survey results, including demographics of participants
    • Summary of results, outcomes, and products
    • Plans for follow-up activities
• *Proposed Dates and Venue – Include the proposed dates and venue for the workshop. Proposals must provide justification for the venue if you are not using iDigBio’s conference facilities in Gainesville, Florida.
• *Budget – Include a budget that details the amount requested from iDigBio and how the funds will be used/allocated. Budgets must clearly and separately identify the Participant Support requested and the onsite iDigBio staff travel support requested.
• *Rationale for iDigBio Support – Why can this topic be most effectively addressed through an iDigBio workshop? How will the workshop enhance the national digitization effort? How does the workshop address an unmet need?
• Anticipated IT Needs – If the anticipated IT needs are beyond the resources normally available, briefly describe the IT aspects that are important to the success of your proposed workshop.
• Collaborations with Other Activities or Working Groups – iDigBio encourages synergy between other projects, working groups, visiting scholars, short‐term visitors, and postdoctoral fellows. iDigBio also encourages financial co‐sponsorship of workshops where organizational interests overlap.
• Preliminary Participant List – iDigBio encourages groups that significantly extend existing collaborations or synthesize new collaborative relationships. Participants should include diverse disciplines, experts outside the bio/paleo communities, emerging scientists including graduate students, citizen scientists, and the general public. Named individuals should be committed to participating in the workshop if funded. Not all participants need to be specified in advance, but, if unspecified, the type of expertise needed should be indicated.