GCP Central Registry and Data Templates

The research activities within the Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) are generating a tremendous amount of valuable data. The GCP is committed to make these data available as widely as possible to allow optimal use and maximize value and sees this as a requirement for GCP funding. Submitting the datasets to the central repository with the appropriate template is the recommended mechanism to ensure this.

The GCP central registry serves as the central portal through which information on data generated by the GCP can be found (http://gcpcr.grinfo.net). It currently holds descriptive information on 75 GCP datasets. A number of datasets can actually be downloaded directly from the central registry or by following links pointing to other locations on the Internet where the datasets reside.

The central registry can be searched by everyone. To register new datasets, a username and password are required. Please contact Tom Hazekamp (t.hazekamp@cgiar.org) at IPGRI if you need such a username/password or for any other questions concerning the central registry.

To facilitate the use of the data that are made available through the central registry, it is important that the data are properly documented and follow certain formats. A number of GCP data submission templates have been developed to do just that. They help scientists to document and format the data and ensure that enough information is given to allow others to analyze the data.

Templates for passport and fingerprinting data are available on the bioinformatics portal with templates for QTL mapping and phenotype data under development. Please contact Guy Davenport (g.davenport@cgiar.org) at CIMMYT for more information about the GCP data templates and any template requirements for data types not currently supported.

GCP Announces Appointment of New SP3 Leader/Product Manager

The GCP recently announced the appointment of Philippe Monneveux as new SP3 Leader and Product Manager to the GCP. Currently a professor of genetics and plant breeding at the Montpellier National College of Agronomy in France, Dr. Monneveux will join the GCP at its headquarters in Mexico on 1 July 2006. The full announcement can be viewed here: http://www.generationcp.org/latestnews.php?i=446&PHPSESSID=85fb6162796078108d0a8e236817b369.

Second Call for Competitive Grants now CLOSED

The GCP second call for proposals closed on 30 April 2006. Forty-five eligible proposals were received, 25 led by GCP consortium members and 20 led by non-consortium member institutions. By theme, the number of proposals received was: A1--Methodology development and validation of marker-phenotype association (10), A2--Traits for drought tolerance improvement (10), A3--Development of gene-based markers for abiotic stress (8), B1--Introgression of new alleles (9), B2--Molecular breeding for abiotic stresses(8). Project investigators who were selected to submit full proposals will be notified on 1 July 2006. Full proposals are due 1 September. The call for proposals, which contains the full proposal format, can be found here: http://www.generationcp.org/latestnews/2006_comp_grants_call.pdf.

GCP Website: New Menu, Who We Are, Project Management Policies Page, and Research Publications!

We recently launched a new menu on the GCP website (www.generationcp.org) for a testing period with our website visitors. The new look and organization is intended to facilitate navigation of the site. During the testing period from now until 17 July, please send us your feedback on the menu! We also have a redesigned Who We Are page, with information about our members, collaborators, donors, and stakeholders: http://www.generationcp.org/whoweare.php. We have also launched two new pages under the ?Research? section:

1. Project Management Policies (http://www.generationcp.org/research_policies_in_the_gcp#2.%202) ? This page has all the information you need about contracts and subcontracts, reporting templates and deadlines, and other policies in the GCP.
2. Research Publications (http://www.generationcp.org/research_publications) ? This page features publications on research funded by the GCP. We only have one so far, so please send us your papers!

Capacity Building Corner Feature Story: Finding the ?Champions?

Capacity building in the GCP is not just about training in new scientific tools and methods. Scientists and research institutions in developing countries need many other skills and resources besides just technical know-how to effectively employ advanced science in their labs and breeding programs and ultimately develop products to help improve farmer livelihoods. This philosophy lies at the heart of the GCP?s capacity building subprogram. Read this month?s capacity building feature: http://www.generationcp.org/capcorner.php.

2006 Annual Research Meeting: 12-16 September 2006 in Brasilia

The invitations for the GCP 2006 Annual Research Meeting are being sent out now to project PIs and other selected participants. Like last year, we will produce an ARM Proceedings with the recent update reports from all GCP projects, so we ask all project PIs who would like to submit a revised version to send it to the relevant Subprogram Leader by 3 July with copy to Kaitlin Lesnick (k.lesnick@cgiar.org).

If you have not received an invitation but would like to attend the 2006 ARM, please send a message to Griselda Marquez (g.marquez@cgiar.org). Please note that financial support for travel to the meeting is no longer available. Full information on the meeting can be found here: http://www.generationcp.org/arm.php.

GCP 2005 Annual Report and 2006 Workplan Now Available

The 2005 Annual Report and 2006 Workplan, which details last year?s progress and achievements and outlines the workplan for 2006, is now available in hard copy and online: http://www.generationcp.org/sccv10/sccv10_upload/2005_annual_report.pdf. Please contact Griselda Marquez (g.marquez@cgiar.org) to request hard copies.

Announcements on the GCP Website

The GCP website has a "Latest News" feature where we can post announcements about events, publications, etc., of interest to GCP members and the global genetic resources and genomics community. We also have an ?Announcements? section in the Capacity Building Corner for news and opportunities related to training and human resource development. The website gets over 2,000 hits per month, so here's a way to get some publicity for your news! If you have an announcement you would like posted, please send it to Kaitlin Lesnick (k.lesnick@cgiar.org) for posting to www.generationcp.org.