Global Genome Biodiversity Network-Global Genome Initiative Awards Program
The Awards Program sponsored by the Global Genome Initiative provides funding for projects that support the discoverability of new genetic collections through the Global Genome Biodiversity Network’s Data Portal (http://www.ggbn.org). The submission deadline for proposals this year is 1 May 2017. The Proposal Review Committee will consider requests for up to $30,000 with clearly articulated budget justifications. All data must be made available online on the GGBN portal before 15 May 2018.
Contents
Eligibility
Any institution with non-human genetic resources, to include both current and prospective members, who are pursuing or have achieved GGBN core membership are eligible to apply. Institutions with successful proposals who have not yet joined GGBN must − as a minimum − become an associate GGBN member by signing the GGBN MOU prior to the awarding of funds and become a core GGBN member upon project completion.
=Technical Requirements= At the end of the project, for publishing data through GGBN, your collection should have: (i) a database to manage your specimens and samples according to GGBN requirements, (ii) a webserver to publish your data, and (iii) BioCASe or IPT to map your database to the GGBN Data Standard. Both BioCASe and IPT are open source software, one of them must be installed in order to make collections discoverable through GGBN. Voucher specimen data should be provided to GBIF in parallel. If your collection does not have a database for the management of DNA and tissue collections, GGBN provides an open source software that can be used (http://wiki.ggbn.org/ggbn/DNA_Module). Technical support is provided by GGBN. Please see GGBN’s IT requirements and mandatory and recommended fields for sharing data with GGBN for additional information.
Proposals
Budget requests will exclusively support the addition and publication of new genetic sample records on the GGBN Data Portal, e.g. contractual labor for short-term staff for processing and/or databasing genetic specimens, informatics support for preparing institutional databases for online discoverability, new servers required for online discoverability, and/or travel costs for visiting experts to facilitate sample processing and online discoverability. Proposed projects must support the discoverability of new collections through the GGBN Data Portal and support the goals of GGBN and GGI, including:
- increasing the visibility and discoverability of genetic samples (e.g. tissues and DNAs) through public release on GGBN data portal (http://www.ggbn.org/ggbn_portal/)
- Increasing the taxonomic (families, genera, species) representation of genetic samples through the GGBN Data Portal. Applicants may make use of the Gap Analysis Calculator when developing their proposals for funding in order to identify to what extent existing collections reflect familial or generic gaps in GGBN (see: http://www.globalgeno.me/)
Evaluation Criteria
- Complementarity: how do your institution’s holdings complement those already uploaded by GGBN members?
- Size, scope and quality of your collection: geographic scope, age of samples, genomic quality (if known), total number of samples, species, genera and families to be made discoverable through the GGBN Data Portal.
- Genomic Novelty: number of families, genera, and species to be made discoverable through the GGBN Data Portal not currently represented in GGBN.
- Adherence to GGBN best practice: to what degree does your collection meet GGBN best practices for data and collection management? I.e. does or can your institution meet GGBN’s technical requirements and implement the GGBN data standard, or follow GGBN’s guidance on Access and Benefit Sharing, as required for GGBN membership? Please be aware that information on the status and legality of permits for samples is tracked as part of the GGBN data standard.
- Efficiency: how much of this project can be accomplished per US dollar?
- Community: to what extent does this project contribute to the GGBN community?
- Timeline and milestones for completion.
Proposal Format
The body of the proposal should be no more than three single-spaced pages (with a 1,5 cm margin on all sides) and address complementarity to existing GGBN collections, size, scope and quality of collection, taxonomic novelty, adherence to GGBN best practice, efficiency, community and timeline. Applications that do not conform to the guidelines will be rejected.
Selection and Notification
All proposals will be evaluated by a committee composed of GGBN members. Please contact Katie Barker, GGBN and GGI Program Manager, (barkerk@si.edu) with any questions regarding the scope, ranking criteria, or clarifications for this proposal call.
Submission
Submit the proposal as a single PDF to GGI@si.edu with the required contents in the following order: Application Form, Proposal text, CVs of Principal Investigators (PI) and CO-PIs, or institutional contacts. A short email (sent to GGI@si.edu) is also requested from your director indicating the PI’s or primary contact’s name, project title, and approval of the submission of the proposal.
Selection and Notification
Proposal requests will be peer-reviewed by a committee selected by the GGBN Executive Committee. After proposal evaluation, institutions of selected proposals should expect to meet with committee members to discuss logistics and to answer questions. Please contact Katie Barker (barkerk@si.edu) for questions regarding project scope and evaluation criteria.
