Strategic Plan 2015-2020

The ATBC fosters collaboration and information sharing across a broad community of tropical biology professionals. The society provides outlets for research dissemination, and educational and funding opportunities, particularly for early career scientists working across the tropics. As a diverse community of science professionals, the ATBC provides a credible, collective, and authoritative vision of tropical biology and conservation issues that underpin public policy and management action.

Values:

The ATBC believes that biological science is essential for an understanding of tropical environments that serves conservation and sustainable development. Specifically, the ATBC holds that:

1. Natural systems and the biodiversity they contain have both intrinsic and utilitarian values;

2. Evidence-based science is critical for understanding how tropical ecosystems function, and how humans affect them;

3. Sustainable development depends on effective stewardship of ecosystems and their component species;

4. Biological sciences and related disciplines are essential foundations for effective decision making, and must inform environmental policy in the tropics;

5. Communicating tropical biological science to the global public is vital for enhancing the understanding of environmental and conservation values.

Principles:

The ATBC promotes inclusiveness and collaboration, in order to create a sense of collegiality that is built on five principles:

1. Supportive: A society that fosters mutual support, mentoring and guidance across its membership;

2. Inclusive: A diverse membership, inclusive of age groups, genders, cultures, professional positions, and geographical locations, benefits and advances the society;

3. Participatory: A membership that is informed and engaged in the activities of the society;

4. Transparent: An open society in which decision-making processes are clear and participatory;

5. Multidisciplinary: A society that encompasses scientific breadth across all relevant disciplines.

Strategic Foci:

In responding to our mission and purpose, and taking account of our values and principles, five core issues form the strategic foci:

1. Support the development of tropical biology and related interdisciplinary scientific approaches;

2. Communicate tropical biological science among the science and conservation community;

3. Foster the application of science in conservation policy and management action;

4. Grow the society by serving the needs and interests of the tropical biology research community;

5. Build organizational capacity and financial stability.