The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES; www.ipbes.net) is an independent intergovernmental body dedicated to improving the use of science in decision making at all policy levels. The Ecological Society of America is assisting the U.S. government in identifying U.S. fellows to support the IPBES expert group dedicated to scenarios and models of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The IPBES Fellowship Program is part of a larger capacity-building portfolio of activities, and targets early career experts who wish to gain experience by participating in the work of IPBES.  To learn more about the fellowship program, please visit www.ipbes.net/ipbes-fellowship-programme (Please note that US scientists should apply through ESA, as described below).

The work would build on the IPBES methodological assessment of scenarios and models of biodiversity and ecosystem services approved by the IPBES Plenary in 2016 (please see here), and aims to catalyze further development of scenarios and models by the broader scientific community for future IPBES work.

The selected fellows will support the expert group on scenarios and models in this consultative process and in producing reports and scientific papers. Fellows will be given the opportunity to attend workshops, starting with the stakeholder consultation workshop scheduled in April 2019, and, depending on the capacity building program for 2019, may receive training on the IPBES assessment processes. This fellowship will initially be until the end of 2019, with the possibility of an extension subject to the outcomes of the seventh session of the IPBES Plenary.

HOW TO APPLY:

Fellow nominees should ensure that they:

• Are available to attend a one-week workshop tentatively scheduled in April 2019
• Can make a commitment of up to 15 percent of their time during the fellowship, and
• Have secured sufficient funding to support their participation

ESA invites interested fellows to apply online:

APPLICATION PROCESS:

ESA will review your information.  In order for ESA to review your qualifications in time, we need your information no later than January 1st, 2019. We will not be able to review nominations received after that date.

Individuals who meet the criteria listed above will be notified by early January, and invited to submit their applications to IPBES via an online web form by January 15, 2019.

If you have any questions, please email them to ipbes@esa.org.

Thank you for your interest and support of this important international effort!

The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES; www.ipbes.net) is an independent intergovernmental body dedicated to improving the use of science in decision making at all policy levels. The Ecological Society of America is assisting the U.S. government in identifying U.S. fellows to support the IPBES expert group dedicated to the assessment of alien invasive species.

The IPBES Fellowship Program, which is part of a larger capacity-building portfolio of activities, targets early career experts who wish to gain experience by participating in the work of IPBES. To learn more about the fellowship program, please visit www.ipbes.net/ipbes-fellowship-programme (Please note that US scientists should apply through ESA, as described below).  Selected fellows will take part as authors in the chapter of the assessment they are selected for. Fellows will attend author meetings and receive training to gain an in-depth understanding of the IPBES assessment processes. Fellows will also be paired up with a mentor for the assessment period.

HOW TO APPLY:

Fellow nominees should meet the following criteria:

• Have expertise related to the themes and skills required for the chapters of the assessment as set out in its scoping document (available here)
• Be experts on invasive alien species within one or more of the following disciplines: natural sciences, social sciences or the humanities; be indigenous and local knowledge experts or have expertise in indigenous and local knowledge systems; OR be policy experts and practitioners
• Have experience working within interdisciplinary and/or international contexts
• Ability to support their own travel to meetings
• Ability to participate in person in the expert group meetings

ESA invites interested fellows to apply online:

APPLICATION PROCESS:

ESA will review your information.  In order for ESA to review your qualifications in time, we need your information no later than January 25th, 2019. We will not be able to review nominations received after that date.

Individuals who meet the criteria listed above will be notified by early February, and invited to submit their applications to IPBES via an online web form by February 15, 2019.

If you have any questions, please email them to ipbes@esa.org.

Thank you for your interest and support of this important international effort!

This web conference will build on the knowledge gaps identified in the IPBES Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration. It will provide an interactive, transparent and inclusive platform for the discussion of these gaps, the consultation on knowledge needs of policymakers and practitioners, and the identification of priority areas for relevant knowledge generation. The ultimate objective is to inform research, policy and funding agencies, and to catalyze the generation of new knowledge. The overall scope includes gaps and needs related to data, information, knowledge and infrastructure.

The three-week web conference will take place from January 14^th to February 4^th, 2019, and be moderated by the Co-Chairs of the Land Degradation and Restoration Assessment, Robert Scholes and Luca Montanarella.
The proceedings of the web conference will include a list of suggested priority knowledge needs.

The proposed conference format is as follows:

• (January 14): Introductory webinar: Presentation of knowledge gaps identified by the Assessment and conference overview
• Week 1 (Jan 14–18): Identifying knowledge gaps: Invitation for feedback on knowledge gaps identified
• Week 2 (Jan 21–25): Prioritizing knowledge needs: Reflecting on knowledge needs in practice and policy
• Week 3 (Jan 28–Feb 1): Addressing knowledge needs: Seeking suggestions on how to address knowledge needs
• (February 4): Concluding webinar: Synthesis of contributions

More information on the web conference can be found on the IPBES website. Interested participants are kindly asked to register via the online registration form. Once registration has been approved, the secretariat will send a confirmation email and further information about the web conference.

IPBES formally welcomes the Government of the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela as its 131st member!

Deadlines:

Interested Governments and relevant stakeholders should register as participants for the seventh session of the IPBES Plenary, taking place from April 28-May 4, 2019, in Paris, France by January 11, 2019 using this link.

At IPBES 7, members will be presented with a new global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services. A primer of this assessment is available here. 

The Brazilian Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BPBES) Report was inspired by and structured along the lines of IPBES assessments – and is another good example of the impact of the work that IPBES is doing.

BPBES shares the IPBES mission of strengthening the interface between science and policy for biodiversity and ecosystem services for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being and sustainable development.

We commend the efforts of the authors, experts and the inclusive group of stakeholders all working to protect this biodiversity hot-spot of global importance. As the Report makes clear, the impact of biodiversity loss in Brazil can be felt far beyond its borders.

Learn more about BPBES and read their full press release here.

The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES; www.ipbes.net) is an independent intergovernmental body dedicated to improving the use of science in decision making at all policy levels. The Ecological Society of America is assisting the U.S. government in identifying U.S. experts for an important IPBES assessment:

Assessment of Invasive Alien Species: This assessment will assess the threat that invasive alien species pose to biodiversity, ecosystem services and livelihoods and the global status of and trends in impacts of invasive alien species by region and sub-region, taking into account various knowledge and value systems.

Nominees should have expertise related to invasive alien species within one or more of the following disciplines: natural sciences; social sciences; or the humanities; be indigenous and local knowledge experts or have expertise in indigenous and local knowledge systems; or be policy experts and practitioners. All nominees should have experience in working within interdisciplinary and/or international contexts.

More information on the work of experts and on financial support available to selected experts can be found here. The first meeting of all assessment experts, for which attendance is mandatory, is tentatively scheduled for August or September 2019.

HOW TO APPLY:

Expert nominees must meet the following criteria:

• 3 years of experience in related issues
• Ability to support their own travel to meetings
• Ability to participate in person in the expert group meetings

ESA invites interested experts to apply online:

APPLICATION PROCESS:

ESA will review your information.  In order for ESA to review your qualifications in time, we need your information no later than December 3, 2018. We will not be able to review nominations received after that date.

Individuals who meet the criteria listed above will be notified by early January, and invited to submit their applications to IPBES via an online web form by January 11, 2019.

If you have any questions, please email them to ipbes@esa.org.

Thank you for your interest and support of this important international effort!

On Sunday, April 28, 2019, regional consultations and the IPBES Stakeholder Day will be held. The seventh session of the Plenary will be opened at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 29, 2019. An opening ceremony will take place on Monday evening. The session is scheduled to close on Saturday, May 4, 2019. An invitation has also been sent to all Ministers for Environment of all States Members of the United Nations or Members of specialized agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to all Permanent Representatives to UN Environment, as well as to the Permanent missions to the United Nations.

The provisional agenda for the seventh session of the Plenary is available on the IPBES website. At this very important session, the Plenary will be invited to consider for approval the summary for policymakers of the global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services and for adoption the future work programme for IPBES. The Plenary will receive a report on the review of IPBES at the end of its first work programme. It will also consider financial and budgetary arrangements. An information note concerning logistical arrangements, along with the other official documents of the meeting, will be posted on the IPBES website as they become available.

Please fill in the online registration form (https://www.ipbes.net/registration/ipbes-7) as soon as possible, and no later than January 11, 2019.