Meeting Abstract

P1.20  Friday, Jan. 4  An International Research Coordination Network for Biodiversity of Ciliates CLAMP, J.C.*; SONG, W.; North Carolina Central Univ.; Ocean Univ. of China jclamp@nccu.edu

The International Research Coordination Network for Biodiversity of Ciliates (IRCN–BC) is a joint project between U.S. and Chinese researchers, funded by the National Science Foundation (Dimensions of Biodiversity; DEB 1136580) and the Natural Science Foundation of China, that promotes multidisciplinary, integrative research on biodiversity of ciliated protists and fosters international cooperation in studies of biodiversity. It welcomes participation by researchers investigating any facet of biodiversity of ciliates or other protists as well as prokaryotes or multicellular eukaryotes that interact with ciliates in some way. Our goal is to attract a broad input of expertise, outlooks, and technical skills into collaborative research projects. The IRCN–BC sponsors one major workshop or symposium each year and funds travel by researchers to accomplish research collaborations, to visit participating laboratories for specialized training, or to attend workshops and professional meetings. Major objectives of the IRCN-BC are the following: 1) defining the “Grand Challenges” of ciliate/protistan biodiversity and finding strategies for addressing them; 2) fostering new, international research collaborations; 3) generating new grant proposals for integrative biodiversity studies; 4) forming and using working groups to accomplish specific, broadly based, collaborative projects; 5) developing new data-sharing structures; 6) recommendation of new, enhanced standards for deposition of archival material. For more information please visit our website at http://biodiversityciliatessc.myspecies.info/.