CBOL Members/Structure

Executive Committee:

Members of the Executive Committee were appointed in June 2005 by our Member Organizations. The responsibilities of the Executive Committee include conducting activities on behalf of member organizations, overseeing the Secretariat Office, and finding funding for our projects. Members of the Executive Committee will serve for a two-year term, renewable once. To ensure greater continuity, half of the initial appointments will be for a full two-year term and the other appointments will be for a one-year term (renewable for one two-year term). The Executive Committee will convene Working Groups to develop different aspects of DNA barcoding.

Members of the Executive Committee were appointed in June 2005.

Working Groups:

Based on input from Member Organizations and other sources, the Executive Committee directed the Secretariat Office to form self-organizing Working Groups to help develop the intellectual scope and rigor of DNA barcoding. The CBOL Secretariat supports the Working Groups by promoting international participation and by providing logistical and financial support. The initial Working Groups are devoted to DNA, Database, Plants, Data Analysis and Technology Development. The Executive Committee has sole authority to convene new Working Groups and to disestablish existing ones.
CBOL has the following five working groups. To see a description of the role of each one click here.

Scientific Advisory Board:

The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) consists of the Chairs of the Working Groups and approximately ten members selected by the Executive Committee from among nominees from the Member Organizations. The SAB exists to provide the Executive Committee with advice on the scientific directions of the Barcode Initiative, and to perform those duties assigned to them by the Executive Committee. Current SAB members include:

CBOL Secretariat Office:

The CBOL Secretariat Office is hosted by and housed in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. The Smithsonian Institution has taken the initiative to obtain funding for the CBOL Secretariat Office from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for the period of April 2004 to October 2007. The Smithsonian will have responsibility for fulfilling the goals and meeting the requirements of this grant. The Secretariat Office reports to the CBOL Executive Committee and currently consists of a CBOL Executive Secretary and a CBOL Administrator. The CBOL Secretariat Staff works with and reports to the CBOL Executive Committee, and is responsible for:

  • Leading the development of CBOL as an international, innovative, and proactive movement of Member Organizations;
  • Expanding participation in CBOL and the Barcode Initiative;
  • Developing and implementing strategies and activities that will develop the Barcode Initiative, with particular attention to:
    • Promoting research projects that use DNA barcoding;
    • Establishing and populating a public database of DNA barcode sequences; and
    • Developing cheaper, faster, and more portable instruments for obtaining and using DNA barcode data;
  • Obtaining funds to help support scientific conferences, workshops, meetings of the Executive Committee and Scientific Advisory Board, and for the activities of the Working Groups; and
  • Assisting researchers in the submission of proposals for funding of barcoding projects.