Regional Node Application
Preamble
This description of the procedure to apply for EBP Regional Node status and be admitted as a voting member of the EBP Membership Council and as a non-voting member of the EBP Executive Council is established as a pilot procedure that will be followed by all new applicants, with the intention that the language will eventually become part of the EBP Governance Document. As defined in the EBP Governance: “To facilitate the achievement of the EBP’s goals, EBP Regional Nodes may be established to coordinate EBP-related activities across broad geographical areas, including continents and political unions (e.g., European Union, African Union).” and “To be recognized as an EBP Regional Node, it will be necessary to 1) codify coordination with EBP in its governance document, and 2) commit to adhere to all recommendations and guidelines issued by EBP Committees, Councils, or the Secretariat.” To view a model of the organizational structure of the EBP as a global network of interconnected communities visit here.
Roles and Responsibilities of Regional Nodes
Each EBP Regional Node is expected to fulfill specific roles and responsibilities described here:
1) Coordinate with the EBP Secretariat to maintain an updated list of the geographical distribution of the Regional Nodes’ membership, names of EBP Affiliated projects of the Regional Node, participating organizations in the Regional Node, funding sources, funding levels, funding period, collaborations/partnerships, and leadership, including the Node’s data coordinator.
2) Ensure and facilitate the reporting of updated numbers and taxonomic distribution of species to be sequenced by the Regional Nodes’ Affiliated Projects to the EBP Secretariat and the GoaT team.
3) Uphold the EBP standards for sequencing, assembly, and annotation.
4) Uphold EBP guidelines and policies JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) and ELSI (ethics, legal, and social issues).
5) Uphold the principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing, and CBD recommendations on the use of digital sequence information from genetic resources (DSI).
6) Deposit genome assemblies including raw data and detailed BioSample information in INSDC with, at most, a one-year embargo on data use, with a possible exception in the context of Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
7) Coordinate training and educational programs of the Regional Node and its Affiliated Projects with the EBP Secretariat.
8) Participate in Membership Council voting.
Process for Regional Node Membership
For an EBP Regional Node to be accepted and consequently admitted to the Membership Council and as a non-voting member of the Executive Council, the Regional Node must submit its application to the EBP Secretariat. Importantly, it is expected that any group embarking on the process of establishing an EBP Regional Node will initiate a dialogue with the EBP Executive Council early on in the process to allow for a coherent co-development that aligns with the roles, and responsibilities of an EBP Regional Node (see below). The application should consist of a cover letter addressed to the EBP Executive Council and signed by the leadership of the Regional Node. The letter should describe the Regional Node’s membership scope in terms of countries, formally recognized EBP Affiliated Projects, initiatives, and institutions, an approximate number of participating individuals, and should clearly indicate that the Regional Node aims to support the achievement of the EBP’s goals by helping to coordinate efforts and work with other EBP Affiliates. The letter should also express a clear commitment to uphold and abide by the EBP principles, guidelines, and policies (see www.earthbiogenome.org). Applications from Regional Nodes should also include a copy of its official governance document(s) and a clear statement in the cover letter on the justifiability of their mandate to represent the region. The EBP Secretariat reviews each application and may request further details or clarifications from the applicant if deemed necessary. If the EBP Secretariat considers the application complete and appropriate the application is passed to the Executive Council for review, which, if satisfied, then sends the application for review and voting by the Membership Council. If deemed inappropriate, the EBP Secretariat commits to provide a clear and comprehensive explanation of why the criteria were not considered to have been met. The applicant may appeal such a decision by requesting that the EBP Executive Council examine their original application and their responses to the EBP Secretariat’s explanations for rejection, whereupon the EBP Executive Council makes the final decision, which could include an invitation to re-apply once all the concerns have been addressed.
Application
Applications to become an EBP Regional Node must include the following information.
1) Provide the name of the Regional Node.
2) Describe the geographical distribution of the Regional Nodes’ membership.
3) Provide names of the EBP Affiliated and other associated biogenome projects of the Regional Node.
4) Provide a list of participating organizations in the Regional Nodes, including organization name, country, address, and email contact information.
5) Indicate the Regional Node’s funding source(s), level, and funding period.
6) For each affiliated/associated biogenome project of the Regional Node, give details on the number and taxonomic and geographic (country, regional) distribution of species to be sequenced. Please note that all Affiliated Projects will be required to prepare a spreadsheet with the taxa planned to be sequenced and that these target species lists will be publicly available and submitted to GoaT to promote coordination between EBP projects.
7) Describe collaborations and partnerships with other EBP Regional Nodes and/or Affiliated Projects.
8) Indicate how the Regional Node will promote the commitment to EBP standards, guidelines and policies for sequencing, assembly, and annotation as well as all JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) and ELSI (ethics, legal and social issues).*
9) Indicate how the Regional Node will promote the commitment to the principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing, as well as CBD recommendations on the use of digital sequence information.
10) Indicate how the Regional Node will promote ethical sampling, data sharing and publication policies, and affirm that these will be consistent with EBP policies*. In particular, genome sequences are required to be deposited in an INSDC database with at most a one-year embargo on data use, with a possible exception in the context of Indigenous peoples’ rights*.
11) Provide the name and contact information for the project’s data coordinator. The data coordinator is responsible for the coordination of data sharing with the Regional Nodes’ Affiliated Projects, the EBP Secretariat and the GoaT team.
12) Execution of the signature page here. Please send the required items to Nicolette Caperello at the EBP Secretariat Office Nicolette.Caperello@asu.edu.
The chairperson of a Regional Node or its designate will be a voting member of the EBP Membership Council and a non-voting member of the EBP Executive Council. By signing this form, the Regional Node lead representative agrees to uphold and promote the principles, guidelines and policies set forth in the EBP Governance document.
*All EBP policies and reports with suggested guidelines can be found on the EBP website under the Reports tab.