- Consortium of European Taxonomy Facilities
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The Consortium of European Taxonomy Facilities (CETAF) was formed in 1996 by ten of the largest European natural history museums and botanic gardens to be a voice for taxonomy and systematic biology in Europe, to promote scientific research and access to European natural history collections, and to exploit European funding opportunities. Since then CETAF has served as a meeting point for major European natural history museums and botanical gardens, and initiated and played an important role in a number of projects (see links below). Currently, CETAF has 32 members from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Together, CETAF institutions hold a large fraction (c. 500 million objects) of the world’s most important natural history collections, and the scientific staff have unique expertise in taxonomy and the systematics of natural phenomena. Biodiversity loss, global warming and other environmental issues need natural history collections and related expertise as sources of knowledge and for reference. The increasing political and public awareness of environmental questions and their importance for society provides both a challenge and an opportunity for taxonomic facilities.
CETAF strives to represent the interests of its member institutions, to enhance the visibility of its members, and to be a powerful voice for natural history collections and collections-based research in Europe.
Contents
General Meetings
General Meetings with representatives of each member institution are held twice a year. The meetings are hosted by any of the member institutions and held at any of the European natural history museums or botanic gardens. Current business between the General Meetings are run by the Chair and the Steering Committee, assisted by the Secretariat.
A number of CETAF members, or national consortia in which CETAF members play leading roles, have since 1998 received support through the European Commission's Framework Programmes to enhance transnational access to their collections, equipment and expertise.
CETAF initiatives
- Synthesis of Systematic Resources,SYNTHESYS, a CETAF Integrated Infrastructure Initiative in EU FPVI and FPVII
- The European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy, EDIT. A CETAF network of Excellence in Taxonomy for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, EU FPVI, which started 1 March 2006.
Members
- Austria
- Biologiezentrum der Oberösterreichischen Landesmuseen, Linz-Dornach
- Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien
- Belgium
- Institut Royal des Science Naturelles de Belgique, Brussels
- National Botanic Garden, Meise
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren
- The Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum, Berlin
- Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin
- Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt a. M.
- Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns, Munich
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Stuttgart
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Bonn
- Hungary
- Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest
- Italy
- The Netherlands
- Centraal Bureau Schimmelcultures, Utrecht
- Nationaal Herbarium of Natural History, Leiden
- National Museum of Natural History Naturalis, Leiden
- Zoological Museum Amsterdam, Amsterdam
- Poland
- Museum and Institute for Zoology PAN, Warsawa
- Spain
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid
- Real Jardin Botanico, Madrid
- Sweden
- Naturhistoriska riksmuseet, Stockholm
- Switzerland
- The United Kingdom
- The Natural History Museum, London
- Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Edinburgh
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London
External links
References
- CETAF position paper, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC) Madrid, Spain, 2004.
Categories:- Scientific organizations
- Taxonomy organizations
- Museum associations and consortia
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