Response compiled by NERC on behalf of the community of taxonomy and systematics funders.
The discipline of Taxonomy and Systematics in the UK has been the subject of a number of inquiries in recent years, including three reports by the House of Lords (1992, 2002, 2008). The most recent of these inquiries, the 2008 House of Lords Science and Technology Committee inquiry into Systematic Biology Research and Taxonomy, recognised the importance of the field in modern biology and environmental science but highlighted a series of substantial concerns. These included lack of effective dialogue between users and producers of taxonomy to identify national priorities; the need to stimulate recruitment in the field and encourage interest among younger generations; the need for further uptake of potentially revolutionary new technologies; ineffective communication between the taxonomic community and research councils; fragmented responsibility among government departments; and lack of leadership towards developing a national strategy. In its summary the 2008 House of Lords report concluded that the state of the field was generally unsatisfactory, in some areas to the point of crisis.
In response to specific recommendations in the House of Lords report, the Natural Environment Research Council commissioned the UK Taxonomy & Systematics Review on behalf of all funders in this area.
The UK Taxonomy & Systematics Review covered three specific areas (i) the current status and trends in the UK taxonomy and systematics sector, including the scale of and sources of funding, and the size and demography of the workforce; (ii) an assessment of current and future needs for taxonomy and systematics and how these relate to different user groups; and (iii) strategic recommendations for the future development of taxonomy and systematics in the UK in light of the findings of both the House of Lords inquiry and other reports. The full UK Review can be accessed here.
The UK Review concluded that taxonomy and systematics, one of the oldest branches of biology, is currently undergoing a period of major transformational change that will determine its future role and structure. It also highlighted that taxonomy and systematics is a science with some unique features that make the explicit development of a national strategy advantageous. These include the role of collections, the great importance of the non-university sector, the disparate sources through which the subject is funded, and the importance of volunteer scientists. The review made 19 specific recommendations, the most fundamental of which was the creation of a UK Taxonomy Co-ordination Committee to develop a national strategy in taxonomy and systematics.
Response to review
The Natural History Museum, Royal Botanic Garden Kew, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, National Museum of Wales and the Linnean Society — with representation from NERC on behalf of the funder community— have agreed to drive the creation of a UK Taxonomy Co-ordination Committee, and to actively champion the development of a national strategy. This group recognises that a broader stakeholder group will need to be fully involved to set the terms of reference for the Co-ordination Committee, develop the national strategy and take forward its implementation. In order to assist the UK Taxonomy Co-ordination Committee to design the most appropriate co-ordinating structures to take the strategy forwards, stakeholders were approached to comment on the individual recommendations of the UK Review.
You can find out more about the recommendations and the stakeholders response here.
In the 2008 inquiry, the NBN was specifically mentioned:
“In view of the continuing success of the NBN in accessing and serving data, and its importance in engaging with and empowering the large voluntary sector involved in biological recording nationally, the Committee urges Defra to assist the NBN in moving towards a less fragile funding model”.
The Government response to the Inquiry into Taxonomy & Systematics can be found here.