History
The Ministry of Science and Technology (now Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness) commissioned the Spanish High Council of Research (CSIC) -by means of the Government Official Journal (BOE)- to initiate and coordinate the activities of GBIF in Spain. The CSIC, with support and advice of its two leading institutes in the field of biodiversity -the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales and the Real Jardín Botánico- established the Coordination Unit (GBIF.ES), located at the Real Jardín Botánico since June 2003.
Mission
The vision is of a national community sharing biodiversity data in a coordinated and open way, and using those data in a sound way for better science and sustainable wellbeing.
The main mission of GBIF.ES is to support natural history collections, institutes and relevant biodiversity projects in order to gain their participation in GBIF by
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supplying them with technical support, information, training, standards, software and advice
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providing coherence between national initiatives and the GBIF information architecture in order to assure interoperability
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analyzing how to maximize the data value by developing tools for data analysis, validation and visualization
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compiling and distributing relevant information to the benefit of collections as well as to our knowledge of biodiversity and its management
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coordinating the activities of the institutes and international initiatives
Structure
GBIF.ES is set up as a network of data nodes (institutes, administrations, projects, NGOs, among others) and a Coordination Unit. Its board includes representatives from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Secretariat of State for Science, and the Spanish National Research Council (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC).
Funding
The support for Spanish GBIF Node and the basic financial contribution to GBIF are provided by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Secretariat of State for Science.
