The aim of the Summer School is to train students in “Best Practices” of field sampling and various aspects of taxonomic research to be applied in biodiversity and conservation biology research.

The Summer School will focus on disseminating practical taxonomic experience combined with theory lectures. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the current state of taxonomic research and its broad applicability in other scientific disciplines and non-scientific initiatives.

One of the sessions, on Biodiversity Information and Cybertaxonomy, will be taught on behalf of GBIF by Anne-Sophie Archambeau of the French GBIF Node. Her presentation will include GBIF's key role in biodiversity information management at a global scale, as well as its interactions with other important global initiatives.

The EDIT Summer School 2008 is open to students that have recently finished their MSc. level or are in an early stage of their PhD research in a biological discipline.

The Summer School will be held in the late summer of 2008 (31/08-14/09), in concert with the ongoing “All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory and Monitoring (ATBI+M)” in the French/Italian Alpine nature reserves of Mercantour and Alpi Marittime. These ATBI+M activities are part of a global research effort to document the spatio-temporal dynamics of biodiversity in conservation priority areas.

We are currently accepting applications from students until June 1st 2008. Visit the EDIT Summer School website, and fill in the online application form (please check that you meet the eligibility criteria before you apply.