International Scientific Community Workshop Series on the Access and Benefit Sharing of Digital Sequence Information

生物大分子的序列，如DNA、RNA和蛋白质(统称为数字序列信息或DSI)，对于推动世界范围内的科学研究和发现已变得越来越重要。这类信息有助于科学家了解基因如何影响生物体的形状、生理、行为和功能。反过来，这些知识为创新提供了原材料，这些创新将促进人类健康、粮食安全，并在气候迅速变化时保护生物多样性。自由和不受约束的非商业性DSI交换使包括美国在内的全球研究人员、教育工作者、生物多样性收集管理人员、学生和创新者能够流畅地相互合作，促进科学进步。这种信息的自由流动得不到保证。在《联合国生物多样性公约》(CBD)和其他多边机构的主持下，一直在讨论如何将一项名为获取和惠益分享(ABS)的原则应用于DSI，这一原则最初是为植物或昆虫等实物生物标本制定的。在大多数情况下，其研究项目依赖于公开分享DSI的科学家在做出关于DSI的决定时没有一席之地。这可能导致对目前可免费获得的信息的访问受到限制；事实上，许多科学家甚至没有意识到对话正在进行。因此，重要的是确保美国和其他地方的科学家和科学学会更充分地参与这些讨论，方法之一是强调依赖于DSI交换的跨国合作的重要性，并就如何分享相关利益提出建议。该项目将促使大多数拥有国际会员资格的科学学会共同主办一系列讲习班，向社区介绍与在《生物多样性公约》范围内讨论DSI/ABS有关的问题、观点和要求。研讨会定于2021年夏末或秋初开始，之后将在昆明举行重要的生物多样性谈判，中国(暂定2021年10月)，并将持续到2022年。活动将包括美国和国际知名科学家的演讲和针对科学协会关注的问题而促成的讨论，这将有助于社会内部的能力建设，以加快跨越地缘政治边界的合规和杰出的生物多样性科学，并制定可能有助于生物多样性公约缔约方的建议。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Sequences of biological macromolecules, such as DNA, RNA, and proteins (collectively “digital sequence information” or DSI) have become increasingly important to advancing scientific research and discovery worldwide. Information of this kind helps scientists understand how genes affect organisms’ shape, physiology, behavior, and function. In turn, this knowledge provides the raw material for innovations that will advance human health, food security, and the preservation of biodiversity as the climate changes rapidly. The free and unfettered exchange of non-commercial DSI enables the global community of researchers, educators, biodiversity collections managers, students, and innovators, including those in the United States, to work fluidly with each other to enable scientific progress. Such free flow of information is not guaranteed. Discussions have been taking place under the auspices of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other multilateral bodies to apply a principle known as access and benefit sharing (ABS), which was initially developed for physical biological specimens, such as a plant or an insect, to DSI as well. For the most part, the scientists whose research projects depend on openly sharing DSI do not have a seat at the table at which decisions about DSI are being made. This could result in limiting access to information that is currently freely available; indeed, many scientists are unaware that the conversations are even taking place. It is important, then, to ensure that scientists and scientific societies in the United States and elsewhere become more fully engaged in these deliberations, in part by highlighting the importance of transnational collaborations that depend on the exchange of DSI, and making recommendations for how related benefits can be shared. This project will engage scientific societies, most of which have international memberships, to co-host a workshop series that will educate the community on the issues, perspectives, and requirements that are associated with discussions about DSI/ABS in the context of the CBD. The workshops are slated to begin in late summer or early fall of 2021, before the major CBD biodiversity negotiations to be held in Kunming, China (tentatively in October 2021), and will extend into 2022. Activities will include talks from high profile US and international scientists and facilitated discussions tailored to the scientific societies’ concerns, which will help to build capacity within societies to accelerate compliant and outstanding biodiversity science across geopolitical borders and to develop recommendations that may be helpful to parties to the CBD.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.