The main issue, in addition to reporting on last years activities and work plans for 2009, was accepting the new quality guidelines and establishing the Endorsement Committee for evaluating new Thematic Networks proposals. With the number of Thematic Networks growing each year it is important to look even more closely at the potential of overlapping and possible benefits of joining with an existing thematic network.

The Program Team was also happy to accept the change of leadership for Thematic Network on Northern Agriculture. The new leader is Associate Professor Karen Tanino from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Karen is planning to have the first workshop for the thematic network during the Plant and Microbe Adaptations to Cold (PMAC) conference, to be held in Norway later this year.

The program team decided to continue the tradition of meeting annually at Kilpisjärvi, where this year not only was work done, but also an igloo was built.

More information on quality guidelines will be posted to the Thematic Networks pages.

Contact: Kirsi Latola (kirsi.latola@oulu.fi)