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Report of the meeting of ECPGR bodies defining EPGRIS3.
2-3 April 2007, Rome, Italy

[PDF file - 149KB]

The European PGR Documentation Landscape.
[PDF file - 426KB]


  Latest news   The idea
  Activities   How to join
  Feedback

Latest news

(17 August 2009) The process towards inclusion of C&E data in EURISCO has taken off (activity 2-05). The proposal has been widely circulated, and feedback has been received. A road map has been formulated and is now being implemented.

(22 May 2009) The proposal for inclusion of C&E data in EURISCO, as discussed in the May 7th EPGRIS3 meeting in Bonn, has been uploaded to the relevant activity 2-05.

(8 May 2009) EPGRIS3 activities 2-05 and 2-06 had a meeting on May 7th in Bonn to discuss the proposal for inclusion of C&E data in EURISCO. A -draft- report is available, with links to all presentations given there. The revised proposal is not available yet.

old news


The idea

EPGRIS3 is a project of the ECPGR Documentation and Information Network. It is based upon the belief that doing things collaboratively can result in better results than working alone. The project is based on self-funded voluntary actions.

EPGRIS3 aims to provide a platform for collaboration in the field of documentation and information of PGR in Europe. Investing in this platform by offering collaboration is welcome whenever the proposed activities add value to PGR documentation and information systems in Europe and increase the overall returns. EPGRIS3 provides visibility and access to each others expertise, tools and data.

EPGRIS3 is based upon the existing European Plant Genetic Resources Information Infrastructure, which is provided by numerous institutions, National Focal Points and Bioversity International on behalf of ECPGR. Main elements of this existing infrastructure are the institutional databases, National Inventories (ex situ, in situ and on farm) and the European search catalogue EURISCO as well as the European central crop databases, the ECPGR listservers and the ECPGR website. AEGIS and other regional initiatives will be heavily dependent on the effectiveness of this information management infrastructure and an important user.

EPGRIS3 aims to undertake a list of activities thought to be important to improve the existing information infrastructure and thereby better serving the PGR community in Europe. Any individual or institution can indicate if they are interested to collaborate in, or even lead specific activities. It is also possible to propose additional activities to this list, provided that the one adding the activity is willing to lead it, and that the EPGRIS coordinator(s) think it is an appropriate activity for EPGRIS-3.

The EPGRIS coordinator will make sure that activity leaders develop a basic workplan in consultation with their collaborators. Workplans should be as concrete as possible, including a planned time frame, milestones and outputs. This workplan can be updated whenever appropriate. Once a year the EPGRIS coordinator will collect from the activity leaders short reports on the activity, in the form of one A4-page indicating achievements and lessons learned.

The list of activities, the names of the activity leaders and collaborators, the workplans and reports are published on the Web. This will allow anyone to give suggestions or other support to the activity leader and collaborators, or possibly even join the activity.

EPGRIS3 thereby hopes to provide a means to help each other improve the quality of PGR documentation and information in Europe.


EPGRIS3 Activities

Based on an initial 'wishlist' of activities compiled by the members of the ECPGR Documentation and Information Network Coordinating Group and Eurisco Advisory Group (see links to documents), a list of activities, with activity leaders and collaborators has been compiled. The Task Leaders will be asked to draft a workplan, that will also be published on the web.

If you are interested in joining an activity, please approach the Task Leader, if you are interested to lead a task, approach the EPGRIS3 secretariate.


How to join

If you are working in PGR documentation and information and believe that doing it collaboratively can result in better outputs than working alone, have a look at the list of activities and send a message to us at the EPGRIS3 secretariat indicating that you would like to lead or participate in one or more of these activities. If you think you have an activity to add and are interested in leading this activity, feel free to send a message to the EPGRIS3 secretariat. We will add your activity to the list. Activities are expected to be self-sustainable, since EPGRIS3 is not providing additional funds.

Being an activity leader implies that, in consultation with your collaborators (if any), you develop a short one year workplan for the activity, both concrete and feasible, including outputs and time frames. After one year you write a short report (1 A4 page) on the activity. You will be the contact for EPGRIS-3 on this activity. You’ll receive the reporting instructions from the EPGRIS3 coordinator.

Being a collaborator implies that you actively contribute to the activity. You will be contacted by the activity leader asking for your plans, possible inputs and achievements.

The names of activity leaders and collaborators as well as workplans and reports will be published on the EPGRIS3 website, allowing anyone to contact you about the activity with feedback on the workplan, offers for contributions, proposals for additional collaboration, etc.


Feedback

The quality of any initiative (idea, service, product or whatever) depends to a very large extend on the feedback of the ones the initiative is aimed at. So, if you have anything you think might help improve EPGRIS3: concept, approach, website or anything else, please send an email to the coordinator or one of the sub-coordinators (see the top-right corner of this page for the email addresses). We promise it will be taken very seriously.

Contacts

EPGRIS3 Secretariat
coordinator: Theo van Hintum
sub-coordinator: Frank Begemann
sub-coordinator: Lorenzo Maggioni
list of EPGRIS3 contacts

Links

ECPGR Documentation and Information Network
EURISCO
list of EPGRIS3 activities
list of EPGRIS3 contacts

Documents

'Wishlist' of activities to be tackled by EPGRIS3.
Statement of Bioversity concerning EURISCO and EPGRIS3 (June 22., 2007).
Template for the Annual Workplan of each Activity.