The African continent, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, is complex geologically, climatically and physiographically. The biological diversity of the region is rich and unique, but not sufficiently documented. Sub-Saharan Africa faces human population challenges, with 800 million people (one-seventh of the global population) dispersed among 50 countries, many with developing economies. The ecosystem services performed by Africa s rich biodiversity are critical to sustaining the subcontinent s human populations, yet efforts to document and protect biodiversity in the region are frequently at odds with human concerns such as basic health and nutrition, agricultural production, and political unrest. Ensuring that the unique biodiversity of Sub-Saharan Africa is properly understood and protected requires effective digitization and dissemination of the region s biodiversity information (i.e., databasing, networking and internet publishing). This session will feature talks by recipients of travel awards from JRS Biodiversity Foundation travel awards, representing Madagascar, Rwanda and Zimbabwe as well as principle Investigators of other JRS Biodiversity Foundation projects focusing on biodiversity informatics training and development of regional biodiversity informatics portals in Sub-Saharan Africa.