Primarily Undergraduate Institutions: An Important Resource for Systematics Research

An award to Boise State University is made to support the development of a workshop to bring together researchers located at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUI) to discuss mechanisms and priorities to maintain and enhance research endeavors in biodiversity, taxonomy, and systematic research in primarily teaching institutions. Research by taxonomists and systematists is focused on understanding and documenting Earth's biological diversity and its evolutionary history. The research is labor intensive and is replete with logistical, theoretical, and analytical challenges; these logistics are accentuated for researchers at PUI. The workshop will be three days in length and will include about 40 participants from PUI across the country. Participant selection is based on maximizing diversity among multiple criteria including representation of taxonomic groups, and experience of investigators (i.e., undergraduate students to senior investigators), Participants will also include colleagues from research (R1) institutions in order to discuss, share, and learn from their experience in dealing with problems common to the discipline. The workshop will explore new research opportunities and mechanisms to coordinate research efforts. Workshop management will be handled by three co-organizers.

Many of our future systematists and, scientists in general, receive their primary education, introduction to science, early research experiences, and first become engaged to pursue a career in science at institutions that offer limited advanced degree opportunities. As such, it is important that these institutions continue to promote and undertake research activities to guarantee future generations of scientists. This workshop will focus on how PUIs can increase research activities through greater undergraduate participation, expansion of research programs and, in many cases, greater appreciation and support for the research and contributions that arise from faculty at PUI. The workshop will disseminate its findings publically via the web.