A Workshop to Explore the Shifting Landscape of Research on Biological Diversity

Ecological Society Of America, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The collection of organisms and genetic samples from many countries is fundamental to a wide range of biological research, including ecology, systematics, and evolution. It is critical that scientists understand the requirements concerning such collections in the countries in which they work. This workshop will bring together U.S. scientists for the purpose of understanding the research implications of the Nagoya Protocol, which calls for sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources. The Protocol aims to create greater legal certainty and transparency for both providers and users of genetic resources by establishing more predictable conditions for access to genetic resources, and helping to ensure benefit sharing when genetic resources leave the country. Many researchers are unaware of the detailed requirements of the Protocol and the downstream expectations associated with the permits they have secured. The knowledge gained by the scientific community through this workshop will ensure that research conducted internationally is done in a legally responsible manner. During this two-day workshop, representatives from diverse professional biological societies will learn about the requirements of the Nagoya Protocol, explore its current effects on research, and identify issues that may affect biological research in the future. Government agency representatives, legal scholars, and researchers with direct knowledge about Protocol implications will present information critical to the biological researchers. The professional society leaders will then convey this information to their members through annual society meetings. Presentations will include not only the requirements of the Protocol and how to respond to them, but also case studies from researchers engaged in the field. Finally, participants will be invited to help develop a series of follow-on communications targeted for particular audiences (e.g., vice presidents for research, museum collections managers and curators, individual researchers) and/or particular topics (e.g., implications for specific subfields of biology), reducing the possibility that research will be hindered by lack of knowledge about country-specific requirements for benefit sharing.