Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories Program (BSI)

The BSI Program | Contact Information |  Call for Proposals  | Funded Projects 1995-2000

The BSI Program

The Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories Program (BSI) provides intramural support for field-based research into the composition of biological communities and the evolutionary relationships of plant and animal groups, topics central to the research of scientists in the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). The Program began in 1995 with the recognition of the need to support the biodiversity field work of NMNH scientists. Biodiversity studies have long been the core research activities for Smithsonian biologists and geologists. Since the arrival of Spencer Fullerton Baird as the Assistant Secretary of the Institution in 1850, Smithsonian scientists have been discovering, verifying, re-examining and testing hypotheses based on observation and research of the earth's diverse biota. A complementary goal of the BSI program is the development of representative voucher collections from these field-based inventories and monitoring efforts.

The products of BSI research include checklists, keys, reviews and guides to regional floras and faunas, and systematic analyses of plant and animal groups. These research products are fundamental for further scientific investigations into the evolution, ecology, and biology of organisms. BSI research provides the data necessary for measuring biodiversity, monitoring global change, and managing natural resources. The BSI Program critically supports collections-based research of our museum scientists.

The Program is administered by the BSI Panel, whose primary function is the review of proposals and subsequent recommendations for funding. To date, approximately $ 350,000 has been awarded to nearly 60 projects since the Program's inception. BSI-supported projects are pursued throughout the world and include the study of marine, freshwater, terrestrial, and arboreal floras and faunas.

An Historical Perspective:
"Biodiversity" as a word appeared only in 1988, but the deliberate scientific documentation of plant and animal occurrences and the study of their diversity began with the early 18th century exploration voyages by European nations. The United States came late on the scene with its first, The United States Exploring Expedition (USEE), from 1838 to 1842. Although the Smithsonian Institution was not yet founded, the cultural, plant, and animal collections and their records from that expedition became a part of the Smithsonian's scholarly resources in the 1850s. Today, biodiversity investigations remain the principal research of many NMNH scientists.

The collections of the USEE and other federal expeditions, such as the railroad surveys of western United States and the US-Mexican boundary survey, and those of later expeditions and individuals scientists are important sources of biological and cultural information. Originally, these collections documented new discoveries. Now, they are critical historical records providing new insights in changes affecting biotic and cultural communities. Exploration remains an NMNH scholarly pursuit. Our scientists continue to discover new plant and animal species, but today's surveys extend beyond the documentation of new species or unexpected occurrences of known species to address the origin, evolution, and diversification of organisms and natural communities.

The early collections and those made today are vouchers of our researchers' studies. Science is foremost an activity of discovery and verification. Both discovery and verification require re-examination and testing of hypotheses derived from observations. Voucher collections are, thus, essential for other scientists to access the same research materials in order to test the conclusions of past and present scholars.

Purpose Of The BSI Program:
Biological, geological and cultural exploration has a long and rich tradition at the NMNH. To better focus the Museum's available resources on biodiversity studies, the Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories Program (BSI) was established in 1995. Through a competitive review of research proposals, BSI supports field research by NMNH-SI scientists that documents the composition of plant and animal communities (including human impact) in areas with incompletely known floras and faunas.

Eligibility: All NMNH-SI research scientists and curators are eligible to submit proposals, which may include NMNH support staff and non-Smithsonian colleagues as supporting participants.

Proposals: Requests for support are entertained for field surveys and monitoring programs of any plant or animal group. Goals of the fieldwork should be directed toward the research interest of the principal investigator, usually in the areas of systematics, evolutionary biology, natural history and ecology, and cultural use of the biota (extant and fossil). Generally, research is a collaboration with an organization or individuals within the host country (if outside of the United States) and will provide the host nation with information on its biodiversity and assist the broader biological and conservation audience in their activities. Fieldwork is expected to obtain voucher material to enhance the natural history collections of the Smithsonian, directly support the research activities of the principal investigator, and result in timely publication of new discoveries.

Procedures: The annual Request for Proposal (RFP) usually occurs at the end of each fiscal year in order to provide funding as early as possible in the succeeding fiscal year. The RFP provides the deadline for the submission of the research proposal, outlines the evaluation criteria, and details the proposal format. The BSI Panel evaluates the proposal and provides the Associate Director for Research and Collections with award recommendations.

BSI Panel Members:
$                   Pedro Acevedo (Botany)
$                   Robert Hershler (Invertebrate Zoology)
$                   Rafael Lemaitre (Invertebrate Zoology)
$                   Wayne N. Mathis (Entomology)
$                   Richard P. Vari (Vertebrate Zoology)
$                   George R. Zug (Vertebrate Zoology)

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Contact Information

For additional information on the BSI Program and its funded studies, please contact:

George R. Zug, Director,
Department of Systematic Biology - Vertebrate Zoology
National Museum of Natural History
Washington, DC 20560-0162
zug.george@nmnh.si.edu
fax 202.786.2979

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