Systematics and Biodiversity Science Cluster (SBS)

Supports research that advances understanding of the diversity, systematics, distribution, and evolutionary history of extant and extinct organisms. The Systematics and Biodiversity Science (SBS) cluster Program Description is valid for all proposals submitted in response to the Division of Environmental Biology core solicitation.

The SBS cluster supports research that advances our understanding of diversity, systematics, and evolutionary history of extant or extinct organisms in natural systems. This research may encompass a broad range of topics and approaches ranging from phylogenetic comparative studies to biogeographic and exploratory biodiversity studies. SBS-supported research addresses fundamental questions in biology such as: What kinds of organisms exist (or existed)? How are they related? How can phylogenetic history shed light on evolutionary patterns and processes in nature? Example topics include: expeditionary biodiversity research and discovery; identification and classification of extinct and/or extant organisms; comparative analysis of morphological, physiological, developmental, ecological, behavioral and/or molecular traits; and development of systematics theory and/or new methods of phylogenetic analysis.

All proposals that include new collections should provide documented plans for fieldwork coordination and/or permitting, as well as a Data Management and Sharing Plan that provides details on the collection metadata, vouchering, preparation, long-term storage, and availability of specimens.

Special Categories for SBS Cluster:

The Systematics and Biodiversity Science cluster core program accepts two special categories of proposals: 1) Advancing Revisionary Taxonomy and Systematics (ARTS), and 2) Poorly Sampled and Unknown Taxa (PurSUiT).

Advancing Revisionary Taxonomy and Systematics (ARTS)

Revisionary taxonomic research is fundamental to understanding planetary biodiversity and providing a conceptual framework for all biological and related applied sciences. However, the description and classification of Earth’s extant and extinct biodiversity has not kept pace with its rate of discovery. The SBS cluster encourages the submission of proposals that use innovative approaches to conduct and accelerate taxonomic research. ARTS proposals must include plans for characterization, description, and naming at the species level in monographic or equivalent forms. Proposals also must include a detailed training plan for researchers and students that will prepare future generations of broadly trained taxonomists. Projects that leverage recent technological and cyberinfrastructure developments and focus on organisms that are taxonomically understudied, or for which taxonomic expertise is limited or vanishing, are also encouraged. The need and urgency of the revisionary synthesis for a particular group of organisms must be justified.

Poorly Sampled and Unknown Taxa (PurSUiT)

The vast unknown diversity of life on Earth has the potential to lead to novel discoveries, to identify new research directions, and to play a critical role in biodiversity and sustainability efforts. The SBS cluster encourages the submission of proposals that aim to advance the discovery, identification, description, and cataloguing of the world's least known extant and/or extinct biodiversity. Projects may be expeditionary and/or exploratory. Priority will be given to innovative projects that fill significant gaps in biodiversity knowledge related to understudied taxonomic groups, and that leverage technological advances to integrate compelling biodiversity discovery questions in an evolutionary, phylogenetic, and/or taxonomic framework. Proposals must include a detailed training plan that will enhance organismal, phylogenomic, bioinformatics, phenotypic, and/or analytical expertise to help address these significant gaps in biodiversity knowledge.

Additional Proposal Types:

The SBS cluster also funds proposals submitted in response to the CAREER, Research Coordination Networks (RCN), Mid-Career Advancement (MCA) and Opportunities for Promoting Understanding Through Synthesis (OPUS) solicitations. Conference proposals, requests for supplemental funding, RAPID, EAGER and RAISE proposals are also accepted, all of which should be submitted directly to the NSF Proposals & Award Policy & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), following the standard guidelines therein.

NOTE: Research on biodiversity and evolution is supported in various ways across the Biological Sciences Directorate, and the Systematics and Biodiversity Science Cluster frequently co-reviews projects with other clusters or programs. Research projects that might be more appropriately targeted to programs other than Systematics and Biodiversity Science include: demography and evolutionary processes below the species level; genomic or functional studies without a phylogenetic or comparative focus (Evolutionary Processes); functional diversity, species interactions in an ecological context, and community dynamics (Population and Community Ecology); and ecosystem structure and function (Ecosystem Science). For proposals in these areas, please consult the Directorate for Biological Sciences website to identify programs whose priorities seem to be a good match for your research. You are always encouraged to contact a program officer for guidance about the most appropriate program for your particular research.