BSA Announcement Board

MEETINGS

• International Conference on New Frontiers in Plant Systematics and Evolution - 7-9 July, 2010, in Beijing China
  This conference aims at providing an opportunity for plant systematists and evolutionary biologists to review the progress, evaluate the current status, and look into the future of the field. It will include talks, posters, and open discussions on recent progress and future directions of the following areas: 1) Taxonomy, collections, and databases; 2) Phylogenetics, phylogenomics, and the Tree of Life; 3) Biogeography and phylogeography; 4) Speciation, hybridization, and adaptation; 5) Molecular evolution, evolutionary genetics and genomics, and Evo-Devo. There will be 40 invited talks from worldwide experts in each of these areas. The conference will be held at the Fragrant Hill (Xiangshan), one of Beijing's most famous scenic and historical sites near the precious royal garden. It is within walking distance to the Beijing Botanical Garden and the Institute of Botany. The conference is organized by the Botanical Society of China (BSC), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and the International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT). For more information, please visit: www.syst-evol.cn.
  
  
• The Biology of Fungi - 9th International Mycological Congress, August 1-6, 2010, Edinburgh, UK
  Proposals are invited for symposia and workshops within the specified scientific themes of the congress. Proposals should be addressed to the relevant theme chair by 15 April 2009 according to the guidelines in the IMC9 website. Call for Papers: Abstracts for oral and poster presentation at the Congress are requested by 9 April 2010. IMC9 will be held in the outstanding venues of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre and the Usher Hall in the centre of the city. Both have excellent facilities for up to 2,500 delegates and are 5 minutes walk away from each other. IMC9 is hosted by the British Mycological Society. For further information, information on submitting proposals and news of jobs and studentships visit: www.imc9.info or contact Nina Cosgrove
  
  
• 14th International Biotechnology Symposium and Exhibition - September 14-18, 2010, Rimini, Italy
  Explore the frontiers and applications of biotechnology for a healthier, more sustainable future and a knowledge-based bioeconomy. http://www.ibs2010.org/
  
  
• BIOLIEF 2011 - 2nd World Conference on Biological Invasions and Ecosystem Functioning. Mar del Plata, Argentina, November 21-24, 2011
  BIOLIEF 2011 will be a forum for the presentation, discussion, and synthesis of research on biological invasions in its broadest sense. The conference will place a particular emphasis on studies concerning the impact of invasive species on ecosystem functioning and/or services, irrespective of taxonomic groups or ecosystem types. However, studies on any other ecological aspect of biological invasions will also be welcome. Topics such as the spread of invasive species into ecosystems, the biogeography and history of species introductions, and the community- or species-level impact of biological invasions will also have an important coverage in the final conference program. For more information about this meeting, visit our website (http://www.grieta.org.ar/biolief/).
  
  
• Fourth International Conference on Plants & Environmental Pollution (ICPEP-4) - December 8-10, 2010, Lucknow, India
  ISEB is a non-profit registered Society based on the Campus of National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India and working for the past 14 years, for environmental protection, pollution mitigation, waste management and plant biodiversity conservation. We regularly organize educational programmes, mass awareness activities, scientific lectures and conferences. We also publish a quarterly news magazine ENVIRONEWS which enjoys worldwide circulation. ISEB has organized three highly successful International Conferences on Plants and Environmental Pollution in Lucknow in 1996, 2002 & 2005. Online registration is now open.Proforma can be downloaded from our website. http://isebindia.com
  
  
• Call for Proposals– NESCent Sabbatical Scholars, Working Groups and Catalysis Groups. The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) is now accepting proposals for sabbatical scholars, working groups and catalysis meetings. Proposals for postdoctoral fellowships are accepted at the December 1 deadline only. Proposals for sabbatical scholars, working groups and catalysis meetings are accepted twice a year, with June 15 and December 1 deadlines. Proposals for short-term visitors are considered four times a year, with deadlines on January 1, April 1, July 1 and September 1. For more information, please see our website at https://www.nescent.org/science/proposals.php.
  
  

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

• Missouri Botanical Garden Fellowships - Deadline July 31, 2010
  The Missouri Botanical Garden announces the 2010 competion for the Elizabeth E. Bascom fellowships in botany for Latin American women. Application deadline is 31 July 2010. For more information and an application visit: http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/ccsd/pdf/Bascom_2010.pdf
  The Missouri Botanical Garden announces the 2010 competion for the MBG fellowships for botanists from Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Application deadline is 31 July 2010. For more information and an application visit: http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/ccsd/pdf/MBG_fellowship_2010.pdf
  
  
• CALL FOR PROPOSALS - SABBATICAL SCHOLARS AND COLLABORATIVE WORKING GROUPS - Deadlines Vary
  Proposals for Sabbaticals and for collaborative working groups (Working Groups and Catalysis Meetings) are now being accepted at The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent). We are looking to support innovative approaches to outstanding problems in evolutionary biology. In particular, proposals that have a clear interdisciplinary focus, or involve evolutionary concepts in non-traditional disciplines, are strongly encouraged, as are proposals that demonstrate international participation and a mix of senior and emerging researchers, including graduate students. Proposals for Working Groups and Catalysis Meetings are accepted twice a year, with deadlines on July 10 and December 1. Proposals for Sabbaticals may be one semester to a full year (deadlines June 10 and December 1) or they may be for short-term visits (2 weeks to 3 months; deadlines on January 1, April 1, July 1 and September 1). NESCent is also now seeking to include graduate traineeship to our portfolio by offering one-semester fellowships for graduate students to pursue research either with a NESCent sabbatical scholar or with a NESCent Working Group. For more information, please see our website at https://www.nescent.org/science/proposals.php.
  
  
• IRES: Molecular Ecology and Evolution of Marine Photosynthetic Organisms - Station Biologique de Roscoff, France
  This NSF-funded International Research Experience for Students (IRES) will provide US graduate students with opportunities to gain international research experience at the Station Biologique de Roscoff  (SBR) in France, a research and training center in marine biology, oceanography, and marine genomics operated by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and the Université Pierre et Marie Curie. Students will work closely with SBR researchers on the molecular ecology and evolution of marine photosynthetic organisms.  SBR is located in Brittany, a western region of France.  Students interested in the program can apply for stays up to 6 months.  Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. For more information regarding the IRES project and the application process please contact:  http://armbrustlab.ocean.washington.edu/ires/ires.html
  
  

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

• New Online Collections of the Instituto de Ciencias Naturales
  The Instituto de Ciencias Naturales of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia invites you to visit the newly redesigned website of its online biological collections. The new site features advanced search options, an improved image viewer, implementation of Google Maps for georeferenced specimens, downloadable spreadsheets for results of species-level queries, and an interface for virtual annotations. The Herbario Nacional Colombiano (COL) with over 600,000 specimens is the largest of the Instituto's biological collections and the largest herbarium in Colombia. To date, approximately 50% of the Herbarium has been databased, and the majority of records are linked to specimen images. It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the Neotropical flora. Please visit us at www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co, and share the link with your colleagues.
  
  
• NSC Alliance Member Organizations
  As many of you are aware, NSC Alliance is a Partner Organization in the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Research Coordination Network (RCN) grant, "Building a Community of Natural History Collections." This initiative, see www.CollectionsWeb.org, is working to gather valuable data about natural history collections. To this end, an important survey has been developed to gather important information about collections that was not captured by recent federal surveys. As a BSA member, you are encouraged to complete this important survey at http://www.museum.tulane.edu/collectionswebsurvey/