The Systematics Association

Promoting the study of systematics and taxonomy since 1937.

Our story

The Systematics Association was founded in May 1937 as the “Committee on Systematics in Relation to General Biology” with Sir Julian Huxley as its first president. Its aim was to provide a forum for the discussion of the general theoretical and practical problems of taxonomy.

Eighty years later, we continue to work tirelessly for the promotion of the study of systematics and taxonomy. We provide competitive research funds for systematics research, organise conferences and meetings, and publish books on all aspects of systematics. Our conference programme includes a major international biennial conference, the Young Systematics Forum for junior researchers, as well as lectures by distinguished speakers. The Association also supports a variety of training courses in systematics and awards grants for meetings and workshop organisation.

Since its foundation, the Association has been run for and by systematists. It has been thanks to several generations of systematists who devoted their time and energy to keep the association running, since all of our officers and council members are volunteers.

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2024 biennial Conference

REGISTER NOW! The Systematics Association International Biennial Conference will take place in Reading, United Kingdom, from 19th - 21st June 2024. Three days full of systematics and taxonomy in a wonderful venue, the University of Reading.

Young Systematics Forum

The Young Systematists’ Forum represents an exciting setting for postgraduate students and doctoral researchers to present their work to a scientific audience interested in taxonomy and systematic biology.

Other events

Other events we organise yearly include the Systematics Association Founders' Lecture, the Joy of Discovery day, or the Science Policy Lecture (in partnership with The Linnean Society).

Systematics

Systematics is the scientific study of biodiversity, it origins, relationships, and classifications. It is an interdisciplinary field that combines methods and techniques from different disciplines such as biology, genetics, palaeontology, ecology, and mathematics to identify and describe the relationships between different organisms.