The University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute studies the life of the planet for the benefit of the Earth and its inhabitants. The institute, including the KU Natural History Museum, accomplishes this mission by using its collections of plants, animals and cultural artifacts for undergraduate, graduate and public education, research, and public and professional service. These collections document the Earth’s biological and cultural diversity and natural environments, past and present.

Within this mission, we are committed to:

Education ⎯ to impart this knowledge by educating undergraduate and graduate students through use of the Biodiversity Institute’s systematic collections, scholarly research, and other resources. The Biodiversity Institute, and its Natural History Museum, interpret this knowledge for diverse audiences through exhibits, education outreach, electronic and print media, and public service. Research ⎯ to discover this knowledge through biotic surveys and inventories, ecological investigations, informatics, and specimen-based research into the history and nature of biological diversity. Documentation ⎯ to preserve this knowledge by managing and conserving systematic research collections and their associated information. The Biodiversity Institute’s primary responsibility is its extensive collections of biological specimens, which are maintained as a public trust and constitute a permanent record of past and present biological diversity for current and future generations. Service ⎯ to disseminate this knowledge worldwide and foster research, education, informatics, and informed stewardship about biological diversity and natural environments. The Biodiversity Institute provides this knowledge to society and to the scientific and museum communities by making available its expertise, research, collections, and data to local, national, and international audiences.