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Priority Areas for Research Grants

ABRS National Taxonomy Research Grant Program

Contact details and further information

General enquiries
Australian Biological Resources Study
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
GPO Box 858
Canberra ACT 2601

Email: abrs.grants@awe.gov.au

Introduction

Projects funded under the National Taxonomy Research Grant Program must be public good in focus and support the following specific criteria are used by ABRS to determine whether a project will be eligible for an ABRS grant:

  1. Biodiversity, Conservation and Vulnerable and Endangered Species
  2. Public, Plant and Animal Health
  3. Building Taxonomic Capacity

1 Biodiversity, Conservation and Vulnerable and Endangered Species

Through their work, taxonomists provide information that is fundamental to the understanding and management of our biological world. To be considered for ABRS funding under this criterion, the researcher is required to demonstrate that the intended project will encompass one or more of the following areas:

1.1 Documenting Australia’s Biodiversity

Studies that contribute to documentation of Australia’s biodiversity, through identification, revision and documentation of understudied taxonomic groups

  • This may include, for example, studies of taxonomic groups in largely unexplored habitats or molecular projects that make genetic information publicly available.

For vascular plant groups in 2021–22 — funding priority under this Subcriterion will be given to taxonomic revisions and treatments developed for the Flora of Australia on the e-Flora platform — for any of the taxa listed in the Final Priority Plant Taxa List.

1.2 Conservation

Taxonomic research that provides critical data underpinning national responses to human-induced change, for conservation planning or for the rehabilitation of degraded environments

  • This may include, for example, taxonomic or systematic research on a group likely to be effective as an indicator of climate change, or focused taxonomic research on a region subject to major development.

1.3 Vulnerable and Endangered Species

Taxonomic research that contributes to a greater knowledge of Australia’s vulnerable and endangered biological heritage, especially that listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)

  • This may include, for example, a revision of a genus to clearly establish the taxonomic position and conservation status of undescribed species, including species currently listed under the EPBC Act.

1.4 Identifying Australia’s Biodiversity

Tools and products that contribute to the identification of Australia’s biodiversity

  • This may include, for example, an identification key for a taxonomic group at a national scale.

For vascular plant groups in 2021–22 — funding priority under this Subcriterion will be given to taxonomic revisions and treatments developed for the Flora of Australia on the e-Flora platform — for any of the taxa listed in the Final Priority Plant Taxa List.

2 Public, Plant, Animal and Environmental Health

This criterion focuses on a range of research activities relevant to protecting Australians and Australia’s natural resource industries and its environment from elements of the Australian biota. To be considered for ABRS funding under the criterion of Public, Plant, Animal and Environmental health, the researcher is required to demonstrate that the proposed project contributes to one of the two following areas:

2.1 Public, Plant and Animal Health

Taxonomic research on native species that are, or have the potential to become, pests or agents of disease, or may be venomous or toxic and thereby threaten public, plant or animal health in Australia

  • This may include the Australian component of a large taxonomic group that has non-indigenous representatives constituting a significant biosecurity risk, where there is a need to be able to distinguish between native and exotic species.

2.2 Environmental Health

Taxonomic studies that focus on Australian organisms that may aid in the rehabilitation, resilience or productivity of natural or cultivated environments.

  • This may include projects that identify and document beneficial species within natural ecosystems, crops, pastures or waterways, e.g. soil crusts, algal colonies, nitrogen-fixing plants or invertebrates that play an ecosystem service.

3 Building Taxonomic Capacity

This criterion focuses on support for training and/or recruitment of taxonomists, especially for research on critical taxonomic groups. To be considered for ABRS funding under this criterion, the researcher is required to demonstrate that the proposed project will encompass one or more of the following areas:

3.1 Training of early career researcher/s

Taxonomic studies that include clearly specified opportunities for capture and passage of skills and information from professionals to junior colleagues

  • This may include a project where there is a component that includes a clearly documented opportunity for passing knowledge from a more senior taxonomist to an early career researcher.

3.2 Knowledge Management

Taxonomic studies that include clearly specified opportunities for capture and passage of skills and information from retired professionals to younger colleagues

  • This may include a project where there is a component that includes a clearly documented opportunity for passing knowledge from a retired taxonomist.

3.3 Exchange of International Expertise

Projects that facilitate international exchange of research expertise and training in areas that will boost Australia’s taxonomic capacity. Please note that NTRGP funds are not to be used for international travel.

The lasting benefits to Australian taxonomy must be clearly specified and must include capacity building.

For example, building collaborations that involve knowledge exchange from international experts to support research capacity of early career researchers, or working on a taxon for which there are currently no Australian-based experts.

2021–22 Final Priority Plant Taxa List

Old ABRS Volume number1 Class/Order Family Tribe/other Approximate number of taxon profiles needed for eFlora platform projects
Genus profiles Species profiles
5 Caryophyllales Montiaceae   2 60
5 Caryophyllales Portulacaceae   6 20
6 Dilleniales Dilleniaceae   3 300
8 Capparales Brassicaceae   59 197
9 Ericales Ebenaceae   1 (Diospyros) 22
9 Ericales Ericaceae Tribe Styphelieae
(excluding Melichrus)
18 420+
9 Ericales Ericaceae Various genera
(excluding subfamily Epacridoideae)
7 40
9 Ericales Sapotaceae   10 31
9 Ericales Symplocaceae   1 (Symplocos) 19
10 Rosales Cunoniaceae
(including Davidsoniaceae)
  17 38
13–15 Fabales Fabaceae subfamily Papilionoideae sensu LPWG (2017)2 — various genera 136 1500
20B Myrtales Myrtaceae Kanieae 6 c. 10
20B Myrtales Myrtaceae Syzygieae 1 (Syzygium) 70
20B Myrtales Myrtaceae Myrteae 12 78
21A, 21B Myrtales Myrtaceae Chamelaucieae 25+ 800+
27 Geraniales Geraniaceae   3 40
27 Apiales Araliaceae   17 128
27 Apiales Apiaceae   34 67
30 Solanales Menyanthaceae   4 27
30 Lamiales Boraginaceae   26 172
31 Lamiales Byblidaceae   1 (Byblis) 8
31 Lamiales Lamiaceae   44 750
32 Plantaginales Plantaginaceae   22 148
32 Scrophulariales Scrophulariaceae
(+ Myoporaceae)
Various genera 18 200
32 Scrophulariales Oleaceae   8 50
33 Scrophulariales Bignoniaceae   10 40
34 Campanulales Campanulaceae   8 110
36 Rubiales Rubiaceae Opercularia, Pomax 2 20
38 Asterales Asteraceae Gnaphalieae 84 481
38 Asterales Asteraceae Astereae 30 330
38 Asterales Rousseaceae   4 5
(38) Escalloniales Escalloniaceae   4 12
41, 42 Cyperales Cyperaceae   53 600
47 Orchidales Orchidaceae Various genera 110 800
51–53 Bryophytes Various families of mosses, liverworts and hornworts (136 families)   433 1778
Various Algae All families   unknown unknown
No existing volumes Fungi All c. 350 families
(except existing treatments of the smut fungi, the families Hygrophoraceae and Inocybaceae and the genus Septoria)
  c. >1500 known genera c. >8000 described species
No existing volumes Lichens, Arthoniales Arthoniaceae, Melaspileaceae, Roccellaceae   36 unknown
No existing volumes Lichens, Dothideomycetidae incertae sedis Arthopyreniaceae, Microtheliopsidaceae, Mycoporaceae, Naetrocymbaceae, Pyrenothricaceae   10 unknown
No existing volumes Lichens, Pyrenulales Monoblastiaceae All genera
(except Anisomeridium)
5 unknown
No existing volumes Lichens, Mycocaliciales Mycocaliciaceae, Sphinctrinaceae   3 unknown
No existing volumes Acarosporales Acarosporaceae All genera 5 unknown
No existing volumes Lichens, Agyriales All families (except Pertusariaceae)   13 unknown
No existing volumes Lichens, Baeomycetales Trapeliaceae All genera 11 unknown
No existing volumes Lichens, Ostropales and Ostropomycetidae incertae sedis All families
(except Graphidaceae, Arthrorhaphidaceae, Porinaceae, Sarrameanaceae)
  33 unknown
No existing volumes Lichens, Lecanorales Biatorellaceae, Calycidiaceae, Carbonicolaceae, Catillariaceae, Crocyniaceae, Lecanoraceae p.p., Malmideaceae, Megalariaceae, Mycoblastaceae, Pilocarpaceae, Psoraceae, Ramalinaceae, Scoliciosporaceae Sphaeophoraceae   67 unknown
No existing volumes Lichens, Peltigerales Placynthiaceae, Massalongiaceae   3 unknown
No existing volumes Lichens, Teloschistales Caliciaceae, Megalosporaceae, Teloschistaceae   11 unknown
No existing volumes Lichens, Lecanoromycetidae incertae sedis Elixiaceae, Lecideaceae, Sporastatiaceae, Vezdaeaceae   14 unknown
No existing volumes Lichens, Lichinales All families
(except Peltulaceae, Aphanopsidaceae)
  12 unknown
No existing volumes Bryophytes, Pottiales Pottiaceae All genera 20 unknown
No existing volumes Bryophytes, Hypnales Amblystegiaceae, Hypnaceae, Pterobryaceae All genera 20 unknown
No existing volumes Bryophytes, Grimmiales Grimmiaceae Grimmia 1 unknown
No existing volumes Bryophytes, Dicranales Dicranaceae Dicranella 1 unknown
No existing volumes Bryophytes, Marchantiophyta All families
(except Radulaceae, Plagiochilaceae, Lejeuneaceae subfamily Ptycanthoideae, Bazzania, Acromastigum and Telaranea)
  126 786

Footnotes

1 Includes Flora of Australia, Fungi of Australia or Algae of Australia book series.
2 Legume Phylogeny Working Group (2017), A new subfamily classification of the Leguminosae based on a taxonomically comprehensive phylogeny, Taxon 66 (1): 44–77 [DOI: https://doi.org/10.12705/661.3].
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Last updated: 03 October 2021

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