CBA's 2020 achievements
In an extraordinarily strange and difficult year, and with restrictions limiting many of our usual activities, particularly our hands-on training workshops, the Centre for Biodiversity Analysis nevertheless accomplished a range of events and achievements:
- Seminar (CBA Visiting Scientist support): Exploring the evolutionary origin of insect wings from an evo-devo perspective (Feb).
- Seminar (CBA Visiting Scientist support): Bayesian molecular clock-dating of phylogenies: fossils, genomes and uncertainty (Mar).
- Workshop (CBA Visiting Scientist support): Bayesian molecular clock dating using genome-scale datasets (Mar).
- Workshop: Spatial genetics in fire-ground fauna to provide a rapid assessment of the extent of genetic divergence across faunal populations in fire-affected areas (Apr) (Project outline).
- The Bioplatforms Australia Australian Amphibian and Reptile Genomics initiative was announced (Apr).
- The EcoKDDart: Future Proofing Biodiversity and Biosecurity with a novel integrative Big Data Analysis Hub was funded by the ACT Government Priority Investment Program (May).
- The CBA was renewed for another 5 years (Jun).
- Workshop: Policy Impact Masterclass, in collaboration with ANU’s Public Policy & Societal Impact Hub (Aug).
- Symposium: Humboldt Day evolutionary biogeography symposium as part of the International Biogeography Society (IBS) inaugural International Humboldt Day commemorations (Sep).
- Workshop: Genetic Diversity - Australian Indicators Forum, a discussion on how improved targets for maintenance of genetic diversity could be included in the CBD post 2020 (Oct).
- Round 12 of Ignition Grant and Round 5 of Synthesis Group funding (Oct).
- Workshop: Ideas Mingle, an environmental research networking event with the ACT Government Environment, Planning & Sustainable Development Directorate (Nov).
As we say goodbye to 2020 we would like to thank the CBA community for their continued support and engagement. We look forward to another year of great collaborative science across ANU, University of Canberra and CSIRO in 2021.