A Workshop to Explore Enhancing Collaboration Between US and Chinese Researchers in Systematic Biology

该奖项支持在中国举办研讨会，以促进中美两国科学家在系统学和生物多样性研究领域的合作。发现和记录地球上丰富的生物多样性，确定这数百万种生命形式是如何相互联系的，是一项劳动密集型活动。国际研究几乎是现代系统学的一个普遍方面，建立有效和富有成效的合作是必不可少的。这项研究需要科学家跨越国界，在其原生栖息地研究植物、动物、真菌和微生物物种。没有任何一个国家拥有独自完成这一重要研究的全部专业知识、资源或人力能力。在系统学、古生物学、生物多样性发现及相关领域，美国和中国有许多活跃的研究人员，但合作相对较少。正是考虑到这些想法，我们组织了这次研讨会，讨论中美系统学家之间加强合作的必要性，以及促进新合作关系发展的机制。研讨会的重点是系统学，广义上包括对生命的多样性和进化史的研究，包括活的和化石的分类群。研讨会为期三天，将有来自美国的30名参与者和潜在合作者，以及来自中国的类似人数的参与者。参与者选择的标准是：在被研究的物种中最大限度地体现分类多样性；在从事生物多样性调查、分类和系统发育的科学家中找到平等的代表；提供博物馆、植物园、大学、学院和其他机构的广泛代表。研讨会的管理将由六个联合组织者（三个在美国，三个在中国）和一个由另外三个参与者组成的指导委员会负责。讲习班结束后，组织者和指导委员会将准备一份全面的报告供公众分发。通过提高科学家共享资源和解决依赖于对生物多样性和系统关系的深刻理解的各种各样的问题的能力，这次研讨会将使该学科更广泛地受益。加强国际合作也将通过促进个人的职业发展直接惠及个人。

This award supports a workshop in China to develop collaborations in the field of systematics and biodiversity research between US and Chinese scientists. Discovering and documenting the wealth of Earth's biodiversity and determining how these millions of life forms are interrelated are labor intensive activities. International research is a nearly universal aspect of modern systematics, and building effective and productive collaborations is essential. This research requires scientists to cross national boundaries to study plants, animals, fungi, and microbial species in their native habitats. No single country has all the expertise, resources, or human capacity to accomplish this essential research on their own. The United States and China are home to many researchers who are active in systematics, paleontology, biodiversity discovery and related fields, but collaborations are relatively few. It is with these thoughts in mind that this workshop has been organized to discuss the need for greater collaboration between US and Chinese systematists, and mechanisms that will facilitate the development of new collaborative relationships. The focus of the workshop is systematics, broadly defined to include the study of the diversity and evolutionary history of life, including both living and fossil taxa. The workshop will be three days in length and will include 30 participants and potential collaborators from the US and a similar number of participants from China. Participant selection is based on criteria seeking to: maximize taxonomic diversity representation among the species being studied; find equal representation among scientists working on biodiversity inventory, taxonomy, and phylogeny; provide broad representation of museums, botanic gardens, universities, colleges, and other institutions. Workshop management will be handled by six co-organizers (three in the US and three in China) and a steering committee of three additional participants. After the workshops are concluded the organizers and steering committee will prepare a comprehensive report for public distribution. This workshop will benefit the discipline more broadly by improving scientists' abilities to share resources and address a diverse range of questions that depend upon solid understanding of biodiversity and systematic relationships. Enhancement of international collaboration will also benefit individuals directly through enhanced career development.