The Systematic Biology and Biodiversity Inventories Cluster supports the general science of systematics, whose three main missions are: to discover, describe, and inventory global species diversity; to analyze and synthesize the information derived from this global discovery effort into predictive classification systems that reflect the history of life; and to organize the information derived from this global program in efficiently retrievable forms that best meet the needs of science and society. The Cluster manages review panels each fall and spring, as well as special competitions for Revisionary Systematics (REVSYS) and for Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET).

Systematic Biology: Supports the scientific study of biological species diversity, and encompasses taxonomy, classification, and phylogenetics, for all groups of organisms and for all habitats on Earth, including marine environments. Activities include the discovery and description of species, the organization of taxonomic information into hierarchical predictive classifications associated with efficient, reliable identification keys, and the analysis of evolutionary relationships among groups of species and across the tree of life.

Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories: Supports expeditionary work to discover, describe, and document plant, animal, and microbial diversity throughout the world, whether terrestrial, freshwater, or marine, and with emphasis on well-vouchered natural history collections, or stocks and cultures including associated databases. Supported surveys may be primarily area-based (i.e., focusing on species inventory and discovery, including biogeographic or evolutionary hypothesis testing), clade-based (i.e., continental-scale to global species inventory for a particular taxonomic group), or guild-based (i.e., surveys that couple species inventory and discovery with ecological hypothesis testing).

Revisionary Syntheses in Systematics (REVSYS): [http://www.nsf.gov/bio/progdes/revsys.htm] Seeks to revitalize revisionary and monographic research on species so that it fully utilizes modern information technology at all stages of the taxonomic enterprise from data capture and analysis to electronic dissemination of results.

Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET): [http://www.nsf.gov/bio/progdes/biopeet.htm] Biennial special competition to address three biodiversity-related goals: monographic research on poorly known groups of organisms; training of at least two new taxonomic experts; and web-based bioinformatics for taxonomic resources. The deadline in March of odd-numbered years precedes panel review in late spring.

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