Exiting news and opportunities
The Rhododendron Research Network (R-RN) is a collaboration between the American Rhododendron Society and an international group of Rhododendron researchers. Our goal is to promote research on Rhododendron and foster collaboration among researchers, while at the same time providing American Rhododendron Society members and the public at large with better access to scientific information about rhododendrons and opportunities to participate in citizen science.
Today, I am pleased to share with you our first Network newsletter. This occasional installment will keep you informed with news of our on-going projects and accomplishments, and will highlight exciting opportunities for collaboration. We hope that you can participate in our network, and we look forward to facilitating improved access to scientific resources that promote and enhance Rhododendron research.
Research Network News
- Publications. Articles announcing the formation and goals of the R-RN were published in the Journal of the American Rhododendron Society and Holden Forests & Gardens Magazine. Also, a team of R-RN members is currently working to complete a research issue of Rhododendrons International, which will highlight diverse areas of Rhododendron research, including genetics, physiology, ecology, evolution, conservation and medicinal chemistry. Look for publication of this issue later in 2018.
- Governance and Planning. Dr. Juliana Medeiros (Holden Arboretum) and Dr. Erik Nilsen (Virginia Tech) have been serving as co-chairs for the ARS Rhododendron Research Network Committee. Currently, they are working to form an Advisory Committee, which will serve as leadership to guide the direction and activities of the R-RN.
- Resource development. Thanks to the expert help of ARS webmaster Bob Weissman, we have established a homepage, which will serve as our central point of communication for network activities (http://www.rhodo-research.net/). We have also begun to develop scientific content/resources for this website: we are working on an updated bibliography of scientific articles on Rhododendron, and developing a database of researchers who have published scientific articles on Rhododendron.
- Funding opportunities. The American Rhododendron Society is currently accepting applications for rhododendron and azalea research grants. Applications are due March 1, and you can find out more at the following link https://www.rhododendron.org/researchgrants.htm
Opportunities For Collaboration
- Join our network. Visit this link: http://www.rhodo-research.net/researchers.asp to officially add your personal information to our database. This will help grow our network by highlighting the breadth and depth of research on Rhododendron, as well as making your work more visible to potential collaborators. If you would like your picture included in your bio, please send your picture directly to weissman@arsoffice.org
- Volunteer to lead or participate in R-RN Action Items. We have identified a number of Action Items in order to reach our objectives, including: developing scientific content/resources for our website, forming working groups to write review articles, working with ARS members to conduct citizen science projects, organizing a conference about Rhododendron research, and planning large-scale collaborative experiments. Our website has detailed information about the initial Action Items we have planned. To see more about this, follow this link http://www.rhodo-research.net/objectives.htm
- Share your own ideas for Action Items. We are very excited to see what this network can do for your research, and what you would like to offer in support of our community. Your input is welcome. We look forward to working together, and we encourage you to contact us at jmedeiros@holdenarb.org with any questions or ideas that you may have.
- Become a member of the American Rhododendron Society. There will not be any fees to join our research network, but by becoming a member of ARS you can provide tangible support for ARS endeavors, which now include our network activities. You can find membership information at http://www.rhododendron.org/membership.htm. With your $40 annual membership you will gain access to many resources that I have found very valuable in my research, including the Journal of the American Rhododendron Society (JARS). I think you will find great value in this beautiful, comprehensive journal covering all aspects of Rhododendrons, from research and conservation, to plant propagation and care. You can check out samples of the journal here http://www.rhododendron.org/journal.htm
- Spread the word. Feel free to share this email with others who might be interested.
Thank you for your time and attention, and keep your eye out for future news and opportunities from the Rhododendron Research Network.
Sincerely,
Juliana S. Medeiros
Scientist, Holden Arboretum
Co-Chair, Rhododendron Research Network
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