Monday, February 29, 2016

CBD GTI Training Course on Rapid Identification of Invasive Alien Species is back

In 2015 The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity launched a capacity-building “training for trainers” course in DNA Barcoding available to interested Parties to the Convention. With generous financial support from the Government of Japan, the Secretariat will support a second round of the training course in 2016 on the application of DNA barcoding in the detection and monitoring of priority invasive alien species, pests and zoonotic disease vectors for interested Parties. This course will provide opportunities for Parties to develop national capacity in the detection and management of invasive alien species, pests and disease vectors that threaten habitats, ecosystems or the health of plants, animals and humans. 
The training course has two major components: an 8-week online distance education course on DNA barcoding methodological approaches and technologies, and a 4-week hands-on training course in standard DNA barcoding protocols for selected trainees at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, Canada.  Applicants should be nominated by the National Focal Point for the Convention on Biological Diversity. National Focal Points are encouraged to consult with the national or regional plant protection organization (NPPO or RPPO) to recommend appropriate individuals to take the training course. The course is open to additional self-funded experts from countries that are not eligible for SCBD financial support.

The call for applications was announced last week on the CBD GTI website. For inquiries on eligibility, selection criteria, and application procedure, please contact the CBD Secretariat.

As per usual the online training component of this course is open to everyone else. This particular run of the course is exceptional as it draws in such a huge international audience which is a great learning environment. So mark your calendar - the online course starts April 11th, 2016.

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