The LifeWatch ERIC training platform will continue to provide public access to the BiCIKL project training materials

BiCIKL project

After three years of advancing a cultural shift in identifying, linking, integrating, and re-using biodiversity data throughout the research cycle, the BiCIKL project is coming to a close. 

One of the key outputs of the BiCIKL project is the Biodiversity Knowledge Hub (BKH). Developed as a one-stop portal for understanding the interconnected landscape of European biodiversity research infrastructures, it acts as a knowledge broker for users who want to navigate and access open and FAIR biodiversity data, guidelines, tools, and services. 

Additionally, the BiCIKL project’s partners created training materials and detailed instructions to help users make the most of the linked services and access biodiversity data found in published literature. The training resources are divided into three courses to cater to users with different backgrounds and expertise, enabling them to begin with the fundamentals or concentrate on specific modules as required:

  • The Introduction to BKH course presents the BKH portal and helps users understand the functions offered by BKH and its associated data services.
  • The BKH Services course provides an overview of the services available in the BKH, and explains how to use each of them, with each service having its dedicated module, and offering best practices and recommendations for their use.
  • The Data Liberation and Publishing Tools Course is an advanced training course focusing on a more in-depth version of the multiple services featured on the BKH. This detailed module focuses on data liberation and publishing tools.

The courses, fully open and accessible to everyone, offer training materials that benefit various stakeholders. Research institutions can learn how different research infrastructures connect their data and add value for new user communities. Biodiversity researchers can explore new data sources, reduce errors in taxonomic name usage, and conduct complex queries. Taxonomists can compare name usage across checklists, access newly published information on a taxon, and create custom taxonomies. Biodiversity informaticians can discover data links, access guidance on identifiers and APIs, and compile complex datasets. Managers of biological collections can understand how their data is utilized and access linked data such as taxon names and sequences. Additionally, publishers can obtain guidelines, best practices, and tools for semantic publishing and implement persistent identifiers and workflows for Linked Open Data.

LifeWatch ERIC, via its Training Platform, will continue to host publicly accessible training materials even after the project’s conclusion, thus ensuring their long term sustainability. To learn more, please visit our Training Platform: https://training.lifewatch.eu/international-projects/resources/?category=32

Bulgaria

The Bulgarian National Distributed Centre is represented by the  Agricultural University-Plovdiv.

To know more about how Bulgaria contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Spain

The Spanish National Distributed Centre is supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the Regional Government of Andalusia and the Guadalquivir River Basin Authority (Ministry for Ecological Transition-MITECO). Moreover, Spain is the hosting Member State of LifeWatch ERIC, the location of its Statutory Seat & ICT e-Infrastructure Technical Office (LifeWatch ERIC Common Facilities). 

To know more about how Spain contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Slovenia

The Slovenian National Distributed Centre is led by the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU). It focuses on the development of technological solutions in the field of biodiversity and socio-ecosystem research.

To know more about how Slovenia contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Portugal

The Portuguese National Distributed Centre is managed by PORBIOTA, the Portuguese e-Infrastructure for Information and Research on Biodiversity. Led by BIOPOLIS/CIBIO-InBIO – Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, PORBIOTA connects the principal Portuguese research institutions working in biodiversity.

To know more about how Portugal contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Netherlands

The Dutch National Distributed Centre is hosted by the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam. Moreover, The Netherlands hosts one of the LifeWatch ERIC Common Facilities, the Virtual Laboratory and Innovation Centre.

To know more about how The Netherlands contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Italy

The Italian National Distributed Centre is led and managed by the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and is coordinated by a Joint Research Unit, currently comprising 35 members. Moreover, Italy hosts one of the LifeWatch ERIC Common Facilities, the Service Centre.

To know more about how Italy contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Greece

The Greek National Distributed Centre is funded by the Greek General Secretariat of Research and Technology and is coordinated by the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, in conjunction with 47 associated partner institutions.

To know more about how Greece contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.

Belgium

The Belgian National Distributed Centre makes varied and complementary in-kind contributions to LifeWatch ERIC. These are implemented in the form of long-lasting projects by various research centres and universities distributed throughout the country and supported by each respective political authority.

To know more about how Belgium contributes to LifeWatch ERIC, please visit our dedicated webpage.