News & Updates¶
This page provides brief updates on the development of the Heritage Samples Registry, including milestones, pilot activities, community engagement, and future plans.
Updates are listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent items first.
2026-07-31 – Initial survey period closed¶
The first phase of the Heritage Samples Registry community survey has now closed. Responses gathered up to 31 July 2026 are being exported and analysed, and will be used to plan the next stage of the Registry's development.
The survey itself remains open. It continues to serve as a simple way for institutions, researchers, and projects to register their interest in the Registry and to tell us what they need from it.
- responses received up to 31 July 2026 form the initial data set
- later responses are still very welcome, and will be considered in a subsequent round of analysis
- there may be a delay before we are able to follow up individually, as we work through the first set of responses
- findings will inform the pilot phase and the staged rollout described in the roadmap
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to respond so far.
2026-02-24 — Initial website launch (draft)¶
The first draft of the Heritage Samples Registry website has been released.
This initial version provides an overview of the Registry, explains the role of IGSNs, and outlines the planned roadmap and consortium vision.
Work will now focus on pilot testing, community engagement, and refining guidance for institutions interested in participating.