Thirteen projects involving institutions from 11 countries and areas in Asia have received funding in the latest round of funding from the Biodiversity Information Fund for Asia (BIFA) programme, thanks to support from the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan (MOEJ).
An expert panel winnowed a competitive set of 36 initial concept notes down to its group of selected projects aimed at strengthening the capacity in Asian institutions to manage and mobilize biodiversity data. The selected projects reflect the emphasis that the December 2020 call placed on mobilizing DNA-derived data, data that fills fill taxonomic and geographic gaps in Asian biodiversity, and data relating to the hosts, reservoirs or vectors of zoonotic diseases.
Together, the grants for the 13 projects amount to €221,816, while the co-funding declared by the project team boosts this round's total programme investment to €415,507.
Most projects started in early September, and all teams will complete their work in February 2023. In November, team members from each project will participate in a virtual training workshop on data mobilization led by Secretariat staff, supported as always by a cadre of volunteer trainers and mentors. Attendees will learn key skills required to publish and use of data from the GBIF network and subsequently contribute to the regional community of practice by replicating the training within their institutions' own networks.
The BIFA programme is funded by the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan (MOEJ) and managed by the GBIF Secretariat with the goal of filling data gaps and supporting biodiversity information capacity in Asia.