The Foundational Biodiversity Information Programme Forum 3-4 June 2015 Michelle Hamer SANBI
Overview of presentation • Background and history of the FBIP • The strategic and business plan: Vision, objectives and proposed outputs • Funding grants – what these are; main themes; assessment criteria; and critical aspects for proposals • Outputs from funded projects – what must be delivered from projects? • Other considerations
Background and history • Where did the FBIP come from?
2011: Programmes that generate / disseminate fundamental biodiversity information NO CONSISTENT FUNDING, BUT SAEOL: co-ordinated, KEY STRATEGIC value added information PROJECTS about species SABIF : databases: SA-IBOL: DNA barcode primary data /species reference library for occurrence in space identification of species and time Funded by DST SABI systematics / Funded by DST & NRF taxonomy
Background and history DST requested that an integrated programme for foundational biodiversity information be developed in order to: a. Reduce transaction costs b. Increase impact of the investment
Background: Timelines for Programme Development • Task Team – convened in May 2011 to draft concept. Included SABIF, SABI, SAIBOL, SAEOL, NRF, DST, ARC, GEOBON, SAEON. • Concept presented to SABI and SABIF Steering Committees in May and June 2011. • Presented to DST EXCO for approval in September 2011. • Task Team reconvened in February 2012 to further develop and refine concept. • Concept revised, request for seed funding submitted to DST in February 2012. • Programme was approved by DST for implementation in April 2013. • Presented to SABI Forum in May 2012. • Some revision to concept document after meeting between M. Hamer, DST, NRF in response to queries. • First call for grants and grant allocation: through 2013. • Steering Committee established and first meeting - 2014 • 2014: some delays with finalising funding contract – no call • 2015: funding allocated – call issued and first Forum held
The FBIP • Rationale for the programme
Rationale for the FBIP: biodiversity provides goods and services that sustain life and provide economic opportunities Foundational biodiversity information = what have we got? What is it? Where does it occur? What does it do / what is important about it?
Scope of FBIP Data / knowledge generation, mobilization and co-ordination: • Species occurrence (biodiversity surveys, capture of data from specimens in collections), • Species identity (DNA barcoding, other identification tools), • Population abundance (quantified surveys), • Genetic diversity (phylogenetic distance, population genetics) • Species attributes – photos / illustrations, biology, importance to people including cultural significance, functional role in ecosystem, interactions with other species. • Critical for monitoring and reporting on the state of biodiversity, and for understanding and mitigating the impacts of global change on biodiversity • Important for sustainable use of biodiversity. • Plants, animals, microbes; indigenous and alien invasive species, all habitats (aquatic and terrestrial). • Foundational because it forms the basis of so many other aspects of biodiversity research and decision-making.
Value chain for biodiversity knowledge Job creation; service delivery • Management of key natural assets to provide goods and services - bioeconomy, and mitigation of the impacts of global change Monitoring, bioprospecting, agriculture; data for global change understanding; science based decision- making for sustainable development Ability to identify species: Database: what species we have, distribution in space and time, abundance Biodiversity survey, inventory and description
Problem statement • Researchers who generate foundational biodiversity information and those practitioners who use this type of information generally work in isolation from each other, resulting in misalignment in what information is generated and what is needed and used. • The uptake of foundational data by practitioners further up the value chain closer to the science- society and science-policy interfaces is low – difficult to access data / knowledge. Data remain with researchers or within institutions. Even if in public repositories – difficult to use. • Funding for foundational biodiversity information is not easy to attract on a sustained basis.
Challenges that we need to address • Alignment of needs with what is produced • Providing access to co-ordinated data that is needed • Placing programme in context of national and funding agent priorities
Job creation; service delivery • Management of key natural assets to provide goods and services Critical for managing and Critical for green economy rehabilitating ecosystems How do we identify the species? Understanding what species are in What is its distribution and ecosystems (name), abundance; abundance? what they do in the ecosystem (how What are its close relatives that might they contribute to functioning), also have useful properties? whether they are widespread or Is there genetic diversity that could be have narrow distributions beneficial / detrimental ? Ability to identify species; Database: what species we have, where they occur and when they were collected; Information about species: harmful, useful, threatened, alien, appearance Biodiversity survey, inventory and description
Users of Foundational Biodiversity Information DEA – Strategic Environmental Assessments (large infrastructure projects), protected area expansion, wildlife trade and game industry – policy; rehabilitation projects DAFF – fisheries, aquaculture decisions and policy, biosecurity – pests and pathogens in imports and exports; ARC - new crops, monitoring pests, parasites, pathogens Enforcement (SAPS, Green Scorpions) – forensics – entomology, illegal trade in wildlife Health - pharmaceuticals, path labs, GPs, traditional healers Public – gardeners, learners, citizen scientists, NGOs Industry – agriculture, horticulture, development applications; biotechnology
Overall aim of the FBIP • The intention of the FBIP is to generate, manage and disseminate appropriate foundational biodiversity information as the basis for research which can catalyse the bio- economy, and for decision-making which will promote human well-being . • Overall themes: global change and the bio- economy (green economy)
Outputs Objective 1. Generate knowledge and Expanded inventory of SA’s species mobilise existing data to address Documented genetic and phylogenetic priority knowledge / information diversity for priority species gaps identified by consultation / DNA barcodes / sequences for involvement of relevant identifying species / taxa stakeholders who use and apply A database that documents distribution foundational biodiversity of species in space and time information in decision-making for Consolidated relevant information for sustainable use and development priority species 2. Uptake of knowledge generated Measured and monitored use of outputs for application in research and from FBIP for decision-making, or in green decision-making economy, or by other researchers
: Databases compiled for: 3. Contribute content to an National inventory of South African species integrated information Species pages for South African species management and dissemination including photographs / illustrations, system to provide long-term information on biology, ecological role and access to outputs from the FBIP . interactions, links to DNA barcode / sequence data, distribution maps, indigenous knowledge, existing and (how this is achieved still under potential use, threat status, population discussion) trends and literature through the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Primary data sets on specimen identity, date of collection, locality of collection, collector details, origin of record and where possible other data such as habitat description, biological notes, abundance. .
4. To attract, develop and up skill people Young researchers produce outputs of to ensure appropriate capacity for strategic objective 1. biodiversity information and knowledge Postgraduate students trained generation, dissemination and through grants. application. Professionals in field trained to use new technologies in foundational biodiversity information generation, management and dissemination. Users of information trained in its use. 5. To develop an understanding of best Publication/s on uptake of data using practices for ensuring that foundational different approaches for identifying biodiversity knowledge generated and priorities and for feeding data information disseminated are taken up through to users. • for use and application in decision- Publicity / communication strategy making and sustainable use for promoting use – based on the (bioeconomy). findings of studies done.
Funding grants • Main mechanism for achieving objectives • Administered by NRF through their granting process • Competitive process, with proposals scored by a panel • Context: global change and the bioeconomy • Call process and time frames will be addressed by Lita Pauw
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