Launching of the inaugural GBIF Ebbe Nielsen Challenge

Today at noon, the GBIF Secretariat is launching the inaugural GBIF Ebbe Nielsen Challenge, hoping to inspire innovative applications of open-access biodiversity data by scientists, informaticians, data modelers, cartographers and other experts competing for a €20,000 first prize.

 

 

Today at noon, the GBIF Secretariat is launching the inaugural GBIF Ebbe Nielsen Challenge, hoping to inspire innovative applications of open-access biodiversity data by scientists, informaticians, data modelers, cartographers and other experts competing for a €20,000 first prize.

As most of you will know, for the past 12 years, GBIF has awarded the Ebbe Nielsen Prize to recognize outstanding contributions to biodiversity informatics while honouring the legacy of Ebbe Nielsen, one of the principal founders of GBIF, who tragically died just before it came into being.

The Science Committee, working with the Secretariat, has revamped the award for 2015 as the GBIF Ebbe Nielsen Challenge. This open incentive competition seeks to encourage innovative uses of the more than half a billion species occurrence records mobilized through GBIF’s international network. We expect that these creative applications of GBIF-mediated data will come in a wide variety of forms and formats—new analytical research, richer policy-relevant visualizations, web and mobile applications, improvements to processes around data digitization, quality and access, or perhaps something else entirely. A jury composed of experts from the biodiversity informatics community will judge the Round One entries on their innovation, functionality and applicability, before selecting three to six finalists to compete for a €20,000 First Prize later in 2015.

The Challenge site is now live at http://gbif.challengepost.com. We encourage anyone interested in the Challenge to create a profile and register on ChallengePost so that they receive timely alerts, updates, and other communications about the competition. It’s worth noting, too, that the ChallengePost platform provides access to a community for finding and communicating with developers, software creators and other creative partners about collaborating on submissions, which are due on Tuesday, 2 March 2015.

Help us spread the word !

We ask today for your help in sharing news of the Challenge among your personal and professional networks and communities. Share GBIF’s posts on the social media of your choosing, or tweet and post on your own using the hashtag #gbifchallenge. Here’s 137 characters to get you started if you'd like to post your own (and feel free to amplify it on other more expansive platforms):

GBIF Ebbe Nielsen Challenge now open for registration—seeking innovative uses of GBIF-mediated data http://www.gbif.org/page/62262 #gbifchallenge

We hope you’ll consider including news of the Challenge’s launch in any upcoming communications that your organization has planned. Since the competition runs until March, there will be other opportunities and reminders. Should you have questions or need more information, don’t hesitate to contact us at comms@gbif.org.

Thanks for your help in making the GBIF Ebbe Nielsen Challenge a success!