NPDN Membership FAQ

NPDN members are individuals who work with NPDN and actively participate in NPDN activities and programs in fulfillment of the NPDN mission and goals of providing quality diagnostic service, professional development, and efficient communication.

Most NPDN members are diagnosticians from NPDN labs and partner labs. Some represent IPM, regulatory, or others who contribute to advancing NPDN’s communication goals. This means that NPDN members are the individuals (not the labs) that commit to participate in and contribute to the network. Examples of contribution to the network are generating and uploading diagnostic data to the National Data Repository, and/or actively participating in NPDN committees or programs, etc.

Who are NPDN labs and partner labs?

NPDN labs are labs that contribute data to the National Data Repository (NDR). Most NPDN labs are Land Grant University labs that receive subcontract funds from an NPDN regional center. 

NPDN partner labs are labs in state departments of agriculture, USDA-APHIS, US Forest Service, and private industry. NPDN partner labs do not contribute data to the NDR, nor do they receive subcontract funds from NPDN, but are active collaborators of the network in diagnostics, professional development, supportive tools, or communication.

NPDN membership is about participation and contributing to advance NPDN mission and goals of quality diagnostics, professional development, and efficient communication. All our partner institutions share our mission and goals in one way or another, so we collaborate in our efforts in the spirit of mutual advancement. Thus, most NPDN members are diagnosticians in NPDN labs and partner institutions that contribute diagnostic data and expertise. NPDN membership is also extended to other collaborators that actively contribute to advance NPDN programs and committee work within our core goals. 

While NPDN membership is about commitment and contribution, it has a number of benefits. An NPDN member account gives members access to additional member resources in the Web Portal (npdn.org), the National Data Repository (npdn.ceris.purdue.edu), and the Learning Management System (npdn.learnupon.com). NPDN labs and partners can use NPDN branding in their communications.

If you want to become a member, get involved with the network by participating in national or regional events and activities. Get to know your state lab and/or regional center, and explore ways in which you can collaborate, participate, or contribute to NPDN labs, regional centers, or committees. You can find information on events, committees, labs, and Regional Centers in the Web Portal and the NPDN Communicator.

Yes. You do not have to be an NPDN member to take advantage of many NPDN resources and participate in NPDN activities.

Attend an NPDN event. You can find upcoming events organized by NPDN or partners in the plant health community in the NPDN Portal. The NPDN National Meeting is the largest event organized by NPDN. It happens every other year, and is open to the public, including all interested stakeholders. Attending this meeting is a great opportunity to interact with the plant diagnostic community.

Sign up for The NPDN Communicator. The NPDN Communicator is an electronic publication tool to share information valuable to NPDN members and stakeholders, featuring NPDN member business, useful pest and diagnostic information, upcoming events, announcements, and job opportunities. Anyone can sign up to receive The NPDN Communicator here.

Attend an NPDN webinar. The GPDN webinar series is open to members and stakeholders. The series features expert speakers from universities and government agencies across the country. Topics include invasive pests, modeling, helpful tools, and diagnostic technology. These topics are relevant to pest management specialists and diagnosticians in plant pathology, entomology, and weed science.

In the NPDN Web Portal you can also find job opportunities, announcements, upcoming events, and diagnostic resources. Make sure you browse the NPDN Web Portal Announcements regularly.

Only regional center leaders can add new members to NPDN, but they welcome new NPDN member recommendations from: regional center staff, committees leaders, active NPDN members who direct an NPDN lab, NPDN partners and partner labs, and NPDN state subcontract PIs. 

For example, a lab director can request that a new diagnostician in their lab that will be generating diagnostic data become a member of NPDN. Or a committee leader can recommend that a new collaborator that will be working on an NPDN related project, such as developing training modules or protocols become an NPDN member.

To recommend a new member, email your regional center and explain their affiliation to your lab or committee and their role. Regional centers will then create an account for them. We do ask that you only recommend persons that are actually going to be actively involved in NPDN related work.

Please note that when recommending someone, you are also responsible for notifying NPDN when your collaborators leave the network. To keep NPDN member lists up to date, regional centers rely on NPDN members and will request that the lists get reviewed on a regular basis.

All NPDN members have an active NPDN user account and have received a copy of the terms of use and participation. So, if you have a NPDN account, then yes, you are an NPDN member.

Not sure if you have an account? Contact your regional center to have them check for you.

Have an account but don’t remember having seen the terms of use and participation? Log in to your account and you can find them under NPDN policies in the Web Portal.

While you are logged in, review your account profile. By keeping your account and email up to date, you can properly receive NPDN communications.

Students interested in diagnostics can take advantage of NPDN resources and participate without becoming a member, as described above. 

In the future, NPDN will consider developing membership solutions for interested students in order to prepare future diagnosticians.