[Taxacom] Australsasin Decadal Plan

[Rob Smissen]

I reckon Stephen Thorpe has made his point. He is the best systematist in the world and is in Australasia! We are very lucky to have his leadership here and must be world-leading as a result.

What does ""translating biodiversity research for public benefit" mean?

It means engaging with what people are actually doing to and for biodiversity. It means helping to respond to biosecurity incursions. It means trying to prioritise biodiversity losses against economic development. It even means exploring the economic potential of undervalued species. It means other things too, but I hope you get my point.

It may not be my ideal for the science of systematics, but it is not waffle. I'm pretty sure we could do it better at it, but  doing our work with consideration for the work of others in our interdependent community is an honorable aspiration.

The subtext in the decadal plan is that Australasian professional systematists are trying hard to respond to the agendas of the wider communities in which they live and have made strides in that direction over recent years. My view of the literature in my field (green plant systematics) is that we are highly prioritised in Australasia compared to the wider world. This is an important thing for funders (mostly governments) to appreciate.

There are some who would rather spend their time hating on their own, but it's reassuring to know that funders don't generally respond to trolls.

Best of luck for all your funding applications

Rob



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