This collaborative project between the US National Park Service’s Biological Resource Management Division (BRMD) and the University of Toledo will produce a catalog of biological programs of the institutions participating in the CESU networks, USGS Cooperative Research Units, USGS Science Centers, and USDA Forestry Science Laboratories. The catalog will help the National Park Service and its partners identify potential collaborators for biological projects. A multi-facetted approach combining the development of Internet website, a basic Excel database, hardcopy, and CDs for public distribution will be used. The products will be user friendly, readily accessible, and dynamic to ensure the most update information and rapid technology transfer. All collected information will be placed in an Excel spreadsheet and transferred to a Microsoft Access database to create an interactive interface with pull down menus based on key words: location, institution name, department name, program name, and research key words. The Access interface will be initially hosted on the Landscape Ecology and Ecosystem Science (LEES) server on Internet II connection. The Excel and Access databases are easy to update so if future changes or additions are needed the program can accommodate any alterations quickly. In addition to Internet access and Excel spreadsheets, CDs and/or bounded books will be produced which will be ready for distribution. Requests for both books and CDs can be handled through the Internet website.
