The primary aim of DivSeek was “to enable breeders and researchers to mobilize…plant genetic variation to accelerate the rate of crop improvement”. The DivSeek white paper described the need to develop an information management platform that is adaptable to exogenous change and sets standards that enable data exchange, integration and interoperability between phenotypic and genotypic data related to genebank holdings. DivSeek designed a governance structure and developed governance principles that encouraged the use and sharing of materials and data among a wide range of actors in all sectors: government, industry, university and other non-profit. While DivSeek offerred the potential to provide a valuable mechanism for increasing access to and use of genetic information needed for the development of new knowledge and innovation, the project aimed to learn from prior efforts that encourage research collaboration, sharing of data, and innovation within scientific communities and stakeholder groups. This study was a case-based approach to investigate how similar prior initiatives have addressed competing objectives of partners through institutional structures and organizational designs. The study compared and contrasted governance structures, participants, rules in use, and mechanisms for collaborative research. The study assessed their feasibility and fit with DivSeek objectives and provided guidance for the development and design of DivSeek governance. 

Institutional and Organizational Factors for Enabling Data Access, Exchange and Use in Genomics Organizations. genomicsorgfinal_design.pdf 

Fusi, F. Manzella, D., Louafi, S., & Welch, E. (2018) Building global genomic intiatives and enabling data sharing: Insights from multiple case studies. Omics: A Journal of Integrative Biology, 22(4), 237-247.