Scientific Data Standards and Exchange

History

In tandem with the development of the VCR, this activity was established to train key CGIAR staff in the latest technologies and standards in use by the international scientific communities for managing scientific information. It also aimed to develop a strategy for implementing appropriate information architecture within the CGIAR for maximizing access to this information.

More than 40 CGIAR scientists were trained during a 5-day workshop in Rome, Italy. The trainees survey carried out at the end of the workshop indicated clearly that the training was extremely relevant to the participants and raised sufficient awareness within the CGIAR on the technology as well as immediate ways to deploy it at a large scale. More importantly, the web service package selected at the meeting as the most appropriate for the CGIAR (BIOCASE) was already deployed at more than 5 CGIAR Centres (IRRI, CIP, CIAT, IPGRI, and ILRI). In the other Centres holding genebanks, this process was finalized a few months later.

All CGIAR Centres participating at the workshop finalized their individual strategy for adoption and deployment of web services. In addition, the Project objectives were extended to cover the practical deployment of web services at various CGIAR and other relevant locations. GBIF/BIOCASE was selected as a model web services.

Lead Administrative Center

International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (Bioversity formerly IPGRI)

Project Coordinator

Samy Gaiji, SINGER Project Leader System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP), Bioversity formerly IPGRI