Project information
A consortium of Europe's most prestigious natural history institutions, including museums and botanical gardens, has joined together to form SYNTHESYS - the world's largest natural history network.
The project, initiated by The Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF), will bring together an immense resource for scientific research, consisting of collections, institute facilities and expertise, together with integrated information about the natural world.
The Synthesys project gathers 19 institutions in 10 European countries or National Taxonomic facilities (TAF’s) representing a unique resource of zoological, botanical, entomological, geological and palaeontological specimens. In total the collections comprise more than 337 million specimens. The project is coordinated by the Natural History Museum, UK and has been initially awarded 13 million euro from the Infrastructure Programme of the Sixth Framework Programme - the EU's main source of science research funding.
For the first time, Europe's globally important natural history collections and resources will be available in a coordinated way to scientists across Europe. SYNTHESYS will provide an opportunity for exchanging information and stimulating research in areas including biodiversity and the environment. It will provide easy access to the content of these vast collections and will conduct a survey of each institution's collections, staff, knowledge and expertise.
In addition, SYNTHESYS also aims to raise scientists' awareness of best practice in handling and sampling collections by offering improved training and workshop opportunities, and guidelines for the care, storage and conservation of collections.
The project which started in 2004 for 5 years has been reconducted in 2009 for 4 more years under the 7th FP with now 20 partners.
>> For any further information, please contact:
The BE-TAF Office Secretariat
Dr Patrick Grootaert, Head of Entomology Department,
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (IRScNB-KBIN).
T + (00 32) 02 627 43 02
or Carole Paleco
T. +(00 32) 02 627 42 65
E-mail : SYNTHESYS2@naturalsciences.be
The SYNTHESYS participants are:
- The Natural History Museum - London
- Royal Botanic Garden, Kew
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK
- Royal Holloway University London, London (RHUL)
- York University, York (York)
- Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle - Paris, France
- The Natural History Museum of Denmark - Copenhagen, Denmark
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC)
- Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC) - Madrid, Spain
- Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet - Stockholm, Sweden
- Zoological Museum/University of Amsterdam
- National Natural History Museum Naturalis, Leiden
- Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Leiden (NHN)
- Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Freie Universität Berlin
- Johannes Gutenberg-University (Mainz)
- Museum für Naturkunde, Humboldt-Universität - Berlin, Germany
- Naturhistorisches Museum - Wien, Austria
- Hungarian Natural History Museum - Budapest, Hungary
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences – Brussels (RBINS)
- Royal Museum for Central Africa. Tervuren (RMCA)
The EU: Sixth Framework Programme is the EU's main instrument for research funding in Europe. It aims to contribute to the creation of a true 'European Research Area'. The European Research Area is a vision for the future of research in Europe - an internal market for science and technology. It fosters scientific excellence, competitiveness and innovation through the promotion of better co-operation and coordination between participants at all levels. http://www.cordis.lu/fp6/whatisfpb.htm (website opens in a new window). For the Infrastructures Programme http://fp6.cordis.lu/fp6/call_details.cfm?CALL_ID=49 (website opens in a new window)
SYNTHESYS comprises the seven previous European-funded Major Research Infrastructures (MRI) (Fourth and Fifth Framework Programmes) in Amsterdam (AMTAF), Brussels (ABC = Access to Belgian Collections), Madrid (BIOD-IBERIA), Copenhagen (COBICE), Paris (COLPARSYST), Stockholm (HIGH-LAT) and London (SYSRESOURCE) plus new partner institutions.
For further information on the project and how to apply for a funded visit to one of the 20 participating institutions visit website www.SYNTHESYS.info (website opens in a new window).