A Strategic Plan for Establishing a Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance

This report is a strategic plan for a 10-year effort to digitize and mobilize the scientific information associated with biological specimens held in U.S. research collections. The primary objective of the initiative is to create a national collections resource that will contribute critical information to U.S. scientific research and technology interests, and will aid in understanding the biodiversity dimensions and societal consequences of climate change, species invasions, natural disasters, the spread of disease vectors and agricultural pests and pollinators, and other environmental issues. Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance (NIBA) resources such as databases, network portals, and analytical tools will synthesize information contained in the nation’s collections and place them into national service for stakeholders in government, academia, business, K-12 education, informal science education, and the public.