8 September 2003

All Catfish Species Inventory Participants: 

We are extremely pleased to announce that our proposal to discover and describe the catfishes of the world is to be fully funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation!  We appreciate all of the support that you provided to make this  project a reality.

The All Catfish Species Inventory (ACSI) was proposed as Phase I of a long-term inventory of the Otophysi, the largest clade of freshwater fishes. The inventory is expected to result in the discovery and description of up to 1,750 new species of catfishes and, ultimately, in the description of between 2,300 and 4,600 new species of freshwater fishes. It will result in the completed taxonomy of a globally diverse taxon, Siluriformes, and later in the completed taxonomy of Otophysi, the clade containing over two-thirds of all freshwater fishes.

Products of ACSI will include a completed taxonomy of catfishes with up-to-date identification guides, atlases, catalogues and checklists of species, phylogenetic studies of higher-level relationships among catfishes and an improved predictive classification, large samples of freshwater fishes from poorly collected regions added to permanent collections, and enhanced international communication among fish taxonomists.  The project's website <http://clade.acnatsci.org/allcatfish/> and electronic mail listserver are available for dissemination of ACSI data and products, and to provide for better communication among taxonomists about research, educational and outreach opportunities.

An exceptional feature of ACSI is the large number of taxonomists and students (over 200 participants from 31 counties) who will participate in the project.  Each participating ichthyologist, including graduate students and advanced undergraduates, is eligible for small awards from ACSI to support completion of the species inventory of catfishes.  Please see information below or on the ACSI website about how to request funding.  We welcome your requests for funding to participate in ACSI.

Larry Page, Principal Investigator
John Lundberg, co-Principal Investigator
Carl Ferraris, co-Principal Investigator
John Friel, co-Principal Investigator
Jonathan Armbruster, co-Principal Investigator
Mark Sabaj, co-Principal Investigator

All Catfish Species Inventory (ACSI)
Funding for Participants

The All Catfish Species Inventory (ACSI) is a project funded by the United States National Science Foundation that seeks to describe all catfish species in 5 years.  For more information on the project, see homepage.

An exceptional feature of ACSI is the large number of taxonomists and students (over 200 participants from 31 counties) who will participate in the project.  Each participating ichthyologist, including graduate students and advanced undergraduates, is eligible for small awards from ACSI to support completion of the species inventory of catfishes.  We welcome your requests for funding!

Activities that may receive funding include:
1. Travel to museums to examine types and other specimens.
2. Field work to yield examples of new catfishes (travel money, supplies, and small equipment).
3. Image capture of type and other important specimens (large-scale imaging projects may request funds for cameras and other photographic equipment provided each item costs less than $1000 and is purchased as "supplies"). Click here for guidelines/suggestions for image capture projects. Large-scale imaging projects are encouraged to send a few sample images to Mark Sabaj (sabaj@acnatsci.org) for review.
4. Short-term support to senior researchers to hire students/assistants to aid in completion of species descriptions. 
5. Graduate students may themselves apply for travel and short-term research assistantship support. 

To request funding:

NON-student participants should send the following information in English via e-mail to: Larry M. Page, in care of Griffin Sheehy at gsheehy@flmnh.ufl.edu, or by regular mail to Dr. Larry M. Page, Fish Division, Florida Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, Florida, 32611-7800 USA.

Graduate student participants should send the following information in English via e-mail to: Jonathan W. Armbruster at armbrjw@auburn.edu, or by regular mail to Dr. Jonathan W. Armbruster, Department of Biological Sciences, 331 Funchess Hall, Auburn University, AL 36830, USA.

Name of applicant:
Email address:
Phone number:
Fax number:
Institution and mailing address:
Total amount requested in US$:
Project starting date:
Project ending date:   
Social Security Number (U.S. citizens and residents only): 
Description of project:
Include a brief description (no more than 3 pages) of the activity for which funding is requested.  Include an itemized budget (airfare - see note below, hotel expenses, vehicle rental, purchase of seines, visa fees, etc.).  The description must explain the relevance of the project to the goals of the All Catfish Species Inventory and state clearly that the research is expected to result in the descriptions of one or more new species of catfishes.  Include information on the catfish families and genera, and the geographic areas to be studied, number of new species to be described (if known, or why you assume new species will be discovered), and how the funds requested will be used to complete the project.

Note:
1. You will receive an email notification when your application is received.  If you do not hear from us within 7 days that your application has been received, please contact us at gsheehy@flmnh.ufl.edu, lpage1@ufl.edu, or by phone at 352-392-1721, ext. 483.
2. If any of the information requested above is missing, the application will not be considered for funding.
3. Any air travel to, from, between or within a country other than the U.S. which will be assisted by funding from this project must be provided by, or under a code-sharing arrangement with, a U.S.-flag air carrier if one is available.  Tickets or documentation for e-tickets must identify the air carrier's designator code and flight number.  If one is not available, please indicate this in your application.
4. Students must arrange for an email or letter of support from their advisor to be sent. 
5. If work is to be done at a museum or laboratory away from your home institution, a supporting email or letter from the curator or collaborating researcher must accompany your application. 
6. Participants who receive travel funds to visit museums are expected to take digital images or photographs of primary types of catfish species and to make these images available through the ACSI website.  Click here for guidelines and suggestions for imaging specimens..  (Making images of all primary types of catfish species available on the internet is a primary goal of ACSI, and all participants - funded or not - are asked to submit images to the ACSI website as they become available by sending them electronically to Mark Sabaj at: sabaj@acnatsci.org.)
7. Participants requesting funding are expected to participate in reviewing manuscripts submitted to Zootaxa or other journals in a manner that contributes to prompt and high quality publication of grant-supported research.

Results of projects that receive funding may be published on the ACSI web site following formal publication in a journal.  A short report summarizing what was accomplished must be mailed with copies of receipts documenting expenditures [for airfare, hotels, supplies, etc.; receipts for meals are not necessary] within 90 days of the ending date of the project to:  Dr. Larry M. Page, Fish Division, Florida Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, Florida, 32611-7800 USA.  The report must include information on what new species were or may have been discovered, information on where types and other specimens were deposited, and plans for publishing the results.  Final reports may be posted on the ACSI web page.

Follow-up funding may be available to a participant after she/he completes a task that was funded by ACSI and reports the results.  In general, a manuscript describing at least one new catfish species must be submitted for publication before additional grants will be awarded.  It is anticipated that most participants will receive 2-3 grants of up to $2,000 each over the 5-year period.

If awarded, funds will be transferred electronically to a bank account.  In order to transfer funds, the following information will be required.  You may provide this information now, or wait until you receive notice that you are to receive funds. Also, you may choose to send parts of the information in separate emails, faxes, or phone calls.

Name and address of account holder:
Account holder who is to receive the funds (if same as above, please repeat name): 
Bank name:
Bank address and branch:
Bank account number:
Bank routing (ABA) number:
Swift code:
Type of currency to be wired (U.S. dollars, Mexican pesos, Euros, etc.)

If a project is funded, the participant will need to download and complete the form "University of Florida Consulting & Professional Services Worksheet". To download this form to your computer CLICK HERE, or, to view form over internet CLICK HERE. Instructions for filling out the form: Everyone should check "Individual" at the top. Fill in Name and Address of participant to receive funding. Non-U.S. citizens outside the United States do not need to provide a FEID number or Social Security number. It is not necessary to check any box for "Minority Status" or "Woman-owned Status." Check "No" for all eight items under "Independent Contractor Questions". Sign and date form and send to Griffin Sheehy at Florida Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, or FAX it to Griffin at: 352-392-6582

Publication Support
In addition to other types of support, ACSI will offer editorial and publication cost support to participants.  Those who choose to publish species descriptions and taxonomic revisions in Zootaxa (<http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/>, an international journal (without page charges) for taxonomic studies, will be given a free e-reprint (PDF) for personal use (printing a copy for own use or exchange with other individuals).  Funds may also be provided to cover the cost of free online access of the paper to readers - at the Zootaxa web site or at the author's own web site (cost to ACSI = $20/page), or up to 250 printed copies (1 copy to be mailed to each participant; remaining copies to be sent to the authors; cost to ACSI = $40/page plus postage).  Authors who choose the online access option will receive a free copy of anticipated hardbound compilations of catfish papers published by Zootaxa.

To submit a manuscript to Zootaxa, please read instructions on the website  http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ and submit the manuscript electronically to Larry Page at lpage1@ufl.edu.  Authors must use standard measurements, landmarks and anatomical terms as described on <http://clade.acnatsci.org/allcatfish>.  New species publications must include at least one plate of photos of each species, showing a lateral view of the whole body, and dorsal and ventral views of the head. Additional photos or line drawings may be used to supplement photos when needed to illustrate diagnostic characters.  Authors are also strongly encouraged to submit additional images and text information to the ACSI website by sending it electronically to Mark Sabaj at: sabaj@acnatsci.org.

Participants who choose to publish species descriptions in an outlet other than Zootaxa may request funding for page charges (only if charges are mandatory) or reprints, and any author participating in ACSI may provide information to post on the ACSI website.  Final decisions about inclusion of materials on the website will be made by the PIs, with review by other taxonomists when appropriate.

Once again, We welcome your requests for funding!