e-Biosphere 09 Conference

[SH Yen]

The e-Biosphere 09 Conference will be held in London on 1-3 June 2009.
The conference has three principal goals:

* To highlight the achievements and capabilities of Biodiversity
Informatics;
* To provide practitioners and users of Biodiversity Informatics
with opportunities to interact and share information; and
* To gather input from practitioners and users that will help
guide the development of Biodiversity Informatics over the coming 5-10
years. Representatives of major Biodiversity Informatics initiatives
will meet for two days following the Conference to use this input to
develop an R&D roadmap.

The Conference will stress panel discussions, break-out discussion
groups, and other meeting formats that will promote active involvement
by participants. The Conference agenda will include time for break-
out
discussion meetings of communities of practitioners and users of
Biodiversity Informatics. The Conference organizers will soon launch
web-based discussion groups and town-hall meetings through which these
communities can develop Position Papers that will be finalised at the
Conference.

The e-Biosphere 09 Conference will be an excellent opportunity for
developers of biodiversity databases and software to give
demonstrations
to the community. Instructions for exhibitors is available at
http://www.e-biosphere09.org/assets/files/Exhibitors07Jul08.pdf.

The Conference website (www.e-biosphere09.org) now has:

* The Programme of speakers
* Call for Abstracts for poster presentation (15 December
deadline)
* Applications for Travel Bursaries for participants from
developing countries and doctoral students (15 December deadline)
* Pre-registration online form
* Hotel information

Comments and questions about the Conference can be sent to
inquiries.e...@si.edu.