Future Directions in Biodiversity and Systematics Research

授予芝加哥植物园的奖项是为了支持一系列的三个研讨会，讨论生物多样性，分类学和系统学研究的进展，优先事项和未来的方向。分类学家和系统学家致力于全面了解地球的生物多样性及其进化历史，但这项研究是劳动密集型的，充满了后勤，理论和分析挑战。这些讲习班将评估在生物多样性清单、分类学和系统学研究方面取得的成就，以及当今最紧迫的研究问题和优先事项。研讨会将探讨最令人兴奋的新研究机会是什么，特别是那些与其他学科交叉的机会。将讨论新工具、新技术和改进的分析方法。每个讲习班为期三天，将有25名参加者。参与者的选择是基于多个标准：最大限度地提高分类多样性的代表性;在生物多样性清单，分类学和生物学专家之间的平衡;博物馆，植物园，大学，学院和其他机构的代表性。讲习班的管理工作将由三个共同组织者和一个由六人组成的指导委员会负责。这些研讨会的讨论主题议程基本相同，并将按地理位置组织，一个在东部，一个在中西部，一个在西部。讲习班结束后，组织者和指导委员会将编写一份综合报告。该报告将在适当的网站上提供，并将编写一份手稿，在适当的期刊上发表，以解释生物多样性、分类学和系统学研究的重要性和相关性。

An award to Chicago Botanic Garden is made to support a series of three workshops to discuss progress, priorities, and future directions in biodiversity, taxonomy, and systematics research. Taxonomists and systematists work to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the Earth's biological diversity and its evolutionary history, but the research is labor intensive and is replete with logistical, theoretical, and analytical challenges. These workshops will assess what has been achieved in biodiversity inventory, taxonomy and systematics research and what the most pressing research questions and priorities are today. The workshops will explore what the most exciting new research opportunities are, especially those that intersect with other disciplines. New tools, new technologies, and refined analytical methods will be discussed. Each workshop will be three days in length and will include 25 participants. Participant selection is based on multiple criteria: maximize taxonomic diversity representation; balance between specialists working on biodiversity inventory, taxonomy, and phylogeny; representation of museums, botanic gardens, universities, colleges, and other institutions. Workshop management will be handled by three co-organizers and a steering committee of six. The workshops will have essentially identical agendas for discussion topics and will be organized geographically, with one in the East, one in the Midwest, and one in the West. After the workshops are concluded the organizers and steering committee will prepare a comprehensive report. The report will be made available on appropriate web sites and a manuscript will be prepared for publication in an appropriate journal to explain the importance and relevance of research in biodiversity, taxonomy, and systematics.