| 1. |
BIOPAT e.V. arranges sponsorships for newly discovered
plant and animal species. In recognition of donations of € 2.600 or more,
donors are given the opportunity to suggest names of their own choice for
inclusion in the scientific denomination of the organisms concerned. BIOPAT's
scientific partners, its Executive Committee, and its Scientific Advisory
Council endeavour to accommodate these wishes within the framework of the
international rules on nomenclature. At the same time, they reserve the
right to reject proposed names. Donations are used to promote study and
research in the area of biodiversity.
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| 2. |
All scientifically accredited research-institutions
in Germany and abroad, and the researchers associated with them, may pass
species on to BIOPAT for naming. In the case of applications from private
individuals, an appropriate declaration of association must be submitted
to the Executive Committee before the species is entered in the BIOPAT list.
Where a sponsorship is secured, the institutions in question receive a proportion
of the sum donated, to be used in furthering their research.
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| 3. |
Co-operation with BIOPAT precludes any parallel
sponsorship-activity with other partners. Co-operating partners undertake
not to engage in any action that could be defined as damaging to the association
under the terms of BIOPAT's statutes.
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| 4. |
Arrangement of a sponsorship by BIOPAT takes place
after the Executive Committee has verified that the formal preconditions
are satisfied (or, where appropriate, after consultation with the Scientific
Advisory Council) and after the Executive Committee has given its approval.
The prerequisites for approval are: submission of a declaration stating
that the material concerned was obtained legally; deposit of at least the
holotype in a publicly accessible collection; submission of the name of
the intended organ of publication for the species-description; and a declaration
of consent by co-authors.
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| 5. |
The species-description should, if possible, be
published in an accredited specialist journal affording the possibility
of peer review. If publication is to take place in a journal without a system
of peer review, the Scientific Advisory Council will organize such a review,
calling on external specialists where necessary. The person providing the
description must be advised of this.
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| 6. |
If the name is to be included in the species-list
on the BIOPAT website, the researcher must provide a short description and
illustrations of the new species (or, where the author fears a pre-emptive
description by a third party, of a similar species, with a note to this
effect). Pictures of the new species may be used for publicity purposes
by BIOPAT, or passed on or published by it. Where the creator of a picture
objects to this, he/she must inform the Executive Committee of this in writing.
By making a species available for inclusion in the BIOPAT programme, a researcher
automatically accepts these guidelines.
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| 7. |
Authors undertake to submit the manuscript of the
species-description for publication within six months of the arrangement
of a sponsorship. After this period, unless there are reasonable grounds
for delay, the claim to a proportion of the donated funds will lapse.
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| 8. |
Even if BIOPAT has found a sponsor for a species,
the sponsorship arrangement for that species will only be considered to
have been completed when the description is actually published. Proof of
publication must be furnished to BIOPAT by the author in the form of five
offprints. Only then will the relevant proportion of the sum donated become
available for allocation.
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| 9. |
The minimum donation required to secure a sponsorship
is € 2,600. In the case of particularly attractive species, BIOPAT will
endeavour to secure a higher sum. Half the sponsorship donation secured
will go to the institute to which the researcher providing the description
is attached. Non-sponsorship donations made by supporters of BIOPAT will
be used primarily to cover administrative costs.
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| 10. |
Payment of the 'researcher' proportion of the sum
donated is made to the particular department of the institute at which the
author is employed or with which he/she is associated (or to the institute's
Förderverein or supporters' group). Use of the donated monies must in all
cases comply with the relevant tax regulations. Accordingly, monies may
only be allocated to a legal person, and may only be used for non-profit-making
purposes (research and development). If the body in receipt of the funds
is not itself recognized as having non-profit-making status by the tax authorities,
it must provide BIOPAT with proof that the monies have been spent for non-profit-making
purposes.
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| 11. |
Institutes/departments to whom allocation is to
be made will be informed of this by BIOPAT's Executive Committee. Payment
of the sum in question will be made following written confirmation that
the monies are to be used for taxonomical research and not absorbed into
the institute's general budget. Where possible, the funds will go to the
work-groups/researchers who secured the donation. A declaration drawn up
in the relevant terms will be sent out by the Executive Committee at the
same time as the notice of allocation.
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| 12. |
Where several authors collaborate on a description,
allocation will be made to the institute of the primary author. The primary
author must submit a declaration from his/her co-authors empowering the
primary author's institute (or its Förderverein or supporters' group) to
take receipt of the funds. BIOPAT has no involvement in further regulations.
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| 13. |
If, after six months, BIOPAT has not been able to
arrange a sponsorship for a species, the author of its description may withdraw
the species from the BIOPAT list without explanation and name it as he/she
sees fit. Withdrawal at an earlier stage should only occur in exceptional
and well-founded cases.
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| 14. |
The remainder of each sum donated is paid into a
fund to promote the study and preservation of biodiversity in developing
countries (developing countries as defined by the Federal Ministry for Development
Co-operation). Applications to this may be made by project-groups, non-governmental
organizations, and research institutions of the developing countries from
which the new species for which sponsorship has been secured originate.
In the case of sponsored species from other countries, the author of the
species-description may nominate a developing country as beneficiary.
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| 15. |
The decision as to whether applications from developing
countries merit support is taken by the Executive Committee acting on its
own responsibility, following consultations with the Scientific Advisory
Committee, which, where appropriate, may call in additional experts. Aspects
taken into account here are: the development of local research-infrastructure;
the promotion of local researchers and specialists; and the likely success
of protective measures. Where possible, existing GTZ links and channels
should be used, in order to minimize costs. In its capacity as a founding
member, the GTZ undertakes that, where the Executive Committee requests
it, it will do everything it can to assist in this respect. It pledges,
at any rate, to give favourable consideration to every such request.
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| 16. |
The Executive Committee, the Scientific Advisory
Council, and all external experts must maintain silence in regard to all
information that they obtain in the course of the accreditation and decision-making
procedure. External experts must undertake to maintain confidentiality.
This applies in particular to information relating to individual persons
or potentially injurious to reputation. Legal provisions and duties are
not affected by this.
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If
you are interested to submit new species to BIOPAT for arrangement
of a sponsorship, please complete the following
Form
and send it together with the corresponding documents to
BIOPAT e.V.
c/o GTZ
P.O.Box 5180
D-65726 ESCHBORN
Germany
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Scientific Co-operation - Form