[Taxacom] Taxonomy training

[Bob Mesibov]

It's wonderful to see that there are innovative programs in Europe which aim to increase the number of people actually doing taxonomy:

http://www.taxonomytraining.eu/content/modern-taxonomy-course-programme-2010-2011
http://www.nhm.uio.no/english/research/forbio/

This as-yet-unfunded project

http://scientific.dk/taxonomiclicenses/

even targets children.

The situation here in Australia is very different. Although there are some national government grants available for honours, masters (1-year) and PhD students (3-years) starting out in systematics

http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/funding-and-research/capacity-grants/index.html

there are very few institutions offering *any* basic training within formal courses. AFAIK there are also no formal taxonomic mentoring programs through which students or interested amateurs can be trained under working taxonomists, and the only taxonomy training workshop in recent years - a 5-day crash course for PhD students - was run as a once-only in 2008.

An Australian student interested in becoming a taxonomist would be wise to consider getting their training in Europe. Unfortunately the only assistance currently offered for training outside Australia is a conference travel grant:

http://www.jason.edu.au/scholarship/3289/

-- 
Dr Robert Mesibov
Honorary Research Associate
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, and
School of Zoology, University of Tasmania
Home contact: PO Box 101, Penguin, Tasmania, Australia 7316
Phone: (03) 64371195; 61 3 64371195