Progress and plans
Mission
GBIF France’s missions are to: collect metadata on primary biodiversity data resources; assist connecting data to the GBIF network using GBIF standards, protocols and tools; organize training sessions (data publishing, data quality, use of GBIF-mediated data); inform on GBIF, tools, activities, calls, training material & opportunities; promote and facilitate the use of GBIF-mediated data and tools by biodiversity data users; collaborate with other national and international facilities on biodiversity, and with the GBIF Secretariat; contribute to the development of common tools with the GBIF community. GBIF France also has a mandate to support the Global South—in particular Francophone countries.
Funding
The GBIF France node is funded by the Ministry of Education and Research (Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieure, de la Recherche et de l'Innovation MESRI). From 2013 to 2016, GBIF France was funded through a French National Research Agency (L'Agence nationale de la recherche, ARN) project called e-ReColNat. Since 2017, a part of the French node staff is funded by the French Agency for Biodiversity (AFB) (https://www.afbiodiversite.fr/).
The basic financial contribution to GBIF is made by the Direction Générale pour la Recherche et l’Innovation (DGRI).
History
GBIF France has the mandate to promote GBIF activities and tools at the national level and to represent France in the GBIF community. The node provides information on best practices and standards used by GBIF and helps data publishers to connect data to the GBIF network using the tools developed by GBIF. The node also organizes training events and interacts with all the organizations working on biodiversity at national level. GBIF France also provides support to the Global South, and especially francophone countries to help them to contribute to GBIF.
The GBIF France node was created in June 2006 and hosted by the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN) in Paris. In the beginning the node was just hosted by the MNHN, but, in 2011, GBIF France was officially integrated into the MNHN. During few years, the node was under the Direction des collections of the MNHN and since 2017, under the new UMS Patrimoine Naturelle (Unité Mixte de Service PatriNat)(http://www.patrinat.fr)"
Structure
The GBIF France node includes two part-time coordinators and four full-time positions (node manager, IT specialists and a data engineer).
The node has a board that meets once a year. It includes representation from Ministries (MESRI Education and Research and MTES Environment) and organisations working on biodiversity at national level.