STRATEGY TO 2020

Advancing the science of nature

F oreword
Everyones experience of the
Natural History Museum is
personal. It can touch lives
in different ways.
Some visitors will cherish memories, others will re-tell fascinating stories.
Some people will be inspired to make changes to their own lives. And some
people will go on to change the world.
Our principal purpose is to challenge the way people think about the
natural world its past, present and future. The Natural History Museum
(NHM) is the guardian of one of the worlds most important natural history
collections. Through our own unrivalled expertise and by opening up access
and participation for all, we are unlocking answers to the big issues facing
humanity and the planet:
The origins of our planet and life on it, and the impact of change
The diversity of life and the delicate balance of ecosystems
that ensure the survival of our planet
The security of our food supply, the eradication of disease
and the management of mineral and ore scarcity
This strategy sets out a five-year journey that lays the foundation for
two further decades of transformation for the NHM. It will affect how we
create scientific knowledge and share the benefits of scientific research,
how we develop and care for the collection for future generations and how
we make engaging with science a part of everyones lives and integral to
our nations culture.
By bringing our programmes of public engagement and scientific research
ever closer together, we aim to promote the collection and all that follows
from it as one of the worlds greatest scientific resources for both experts
and the public.
Sir Michael Dixon Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint
Museum Director Chair of the Trustees
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 DARWIN CENTRE
We are redefining the role of natural history museums
and the Darwin Centre is a clear statement of the
NHMs intent. Alongside state-of-the-art facilities for over
40 million specimens and modern research laboratories,
the Darwin Centre offers new ways for people to engage
with the science we do. An innovative walk-through gallery
cuts straight to the heart of the collection, explaining the
Museums scientific work and its relevance to society.

In the Attenborough Studio, visitors interact with Museum

scientists every day. Citizen science programmes that
actively involve the public in scientific research are run
through the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity,
while in the Sackler Biodiversity Imaging Facility we
pioneer new ways to digitise our collection to make
it accessible to all.

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O
ur vision
We live in a time of
extraordinary scientific and
technological discovery
while facing formidable
environmental challenges.
The Natural History Museum with its vast collection and pioneering
research programme is powerfully placed to engage audiences with
the science they need to know and the decisions we need to make.
The Museums purpose is to challenge the way people think about the
natural world its past, present and future. We aim to stimulate public
debate about humanitys future and equip our audiences at every level
with an understanding of science. That purpose has never been more
important or more urgent. Species and ecosystems are being destroyed
faster than we can describe them or understand their significance.
The very resources on which modern society relies are under threat.
This strategy describes how we will redefine the NHM over the next
five years to take up these challenges.
We will use the unique combination of our collection, expertise and
public reach to engage people with three big narratives that together
underpin an understanding of the natural world and our place in it:
Origins and evolution
The 4.5 billion year history of our solar system, the Earth and life
Diversity of life
Todays natural diversity across species, habitats and ecosystems
Sustainable futures
The future of the natural systems on which our society depends
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 NATIONAL IMPACT
As a national museum we engage audiences across
the country, working with regional partners to inspire
young people to continue to study science and support
Britains knowledge economy. For more than a decade
the NHM has worked with UK museums, developing
collaborative programmes to unlock the potential
of their natural history collections to involve students
with science and nature.

These programmes have created a community of science

education professionals who share their expertise
and experience. The Real World Science programme
has, over the past 10 years, reached more than 4,000
schools and 150,000 students nationally. Students
participate in hands-on workshops and debates, meet
research scientists and curators, and enjoy behind-the-
scenes collections access, looking at topics ranging from
microfossils to human evolution.

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O
ur impact
Our ambition is to redefine
the Natural History Museum
and its impact on society.
We will take advantage of
scientific and technological
advances to make
fundamental contributions
to science and to inspire
people to engage with
a new age of discovery.
Our strategic priorities for the next five years are organised to reflect our
commitment to extending our impact digitally, nationally, internationally,
and in London.
Digital
We will use technology to deepen engagement with the collection, including
mass digitisation of specimens, engaging virtual communities worldwide
and creating innovative digital platforms.
National
We will create national networks to support science in schools, engage
society with UK biodiversity through citizen science, and open up the
UKs natural history collections by sharing skills and facilities.
International
We will develop our global relationships to create new commercial
opportunities, build capacity among our partners, and tackle major
scientific challenges, such as biodiversity loss, the spread of diseases
and the supply of scarce minerals.
London
We will build on our position as one of the worlds great public museums
in a truly global city to enhance the experience of our visitors through a
series of major capital developments to improve the grounds, the Hintze
Hall, galleries and learning centre.
To achieve these goals we will develop a new business model that builds our
potential to increase income from membership, commercial opportunities
and philanthropic and corporate partnerships.
We invite you to join us on this journey of discovery.
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 INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP
The NHM leads a consortium of 20 European organisations
including universities, private companies, museums and
botanic gardens in the creation of an integrated research
infrastructure. The SYNTHESYS project delivers three
strategically important elements: access, networking
and collaborative research. Europe-based scientists
receive funding for short-term visits to SYNTHESYS
partners to make use of collections, staff expertise
and analytical facilities, with more than 11,000 visitor
days supported. The partners share good practice in
both collections care and development of digital and
physical access to collections. They collaborate to find
new ways to digitise collections and increase the pace
of digitisation, including activities involving the public
in extracting information from the labels and registers
of natural history specimens housed in collections
across Europe.

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K ey projects
We will monitor our
progress against the
objectives identified in
this strategy using a
combination of quantitative
and qualitative targets.
The list below highlights some key projects and milestones in our journey.
Big, open data
Digitise major parts of our collection and make it openly available to public
and scientific audiences worldwide
Innovative technology
Create a new Museum website and apps to share our expertise and
collection and engage virtual communities such as NHM members,
citizen scientists and amateur naturalists
Citizen science and UK biodiversity
Establish a collaborative centre of excellence in citizen science, combining
broad public participation with high-impact science
Learning outreach
Lead a programme working with national and regional organisations
to enhance science learning in schools and beyond
Biodiversity discovery
Develop a twenty-first-century toolkit to allow rapid discovery, description,
identification and conservation of global biodiversity
Scientific grand challenges
Devise science programmes focused on challenges of global scientific
and societal relevance, including environmental change, world health,
and the supply of food and mineral resources
The Hintze Hall and grounds
Refurbish the iconic central hall and grounds to welcome visitors
to the Museum
Inspirational galleries
Build major new public galleries on Life on Land and Butterflies,
Insects and Plants
Learning centre
With a new learning centre, establish the Museum as a centre
of excellence in informal learning and educational outreach
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 SPECIMENS THAT CHANGED
THE WAY WE THINK
Our rich history has shaped the Museum of today into
a unique scientific repository in which to examine the
specimens and people that have challenged our thinking
about the natural world and humanitys place within it.
Through authentic specimens and compelling stories
we aim to inspire our visitors to ponder these questions.

Treasures in the Cadogan Gallery epitomises this

philosophy by gathering together on permanent display,
for the first time in the NHMs history, 22 of the worlds
greatest scientific and cultural objects, including the skull
of the first-discovered Neanderthal and the famous London
specimen of the first bird, Archaeopteryx. These precious
specimens provide a blueprint for our ambition to reimagine
almost all of our major galleries over the next two decades.

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O
ur history
The roots of the Natural
History Museum lie in
the Age of Reason, the
culmination of 200 years of
intensive scientific discovery
in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries that
revolutionised humanitys
perception of its place in
nature. It was a time that
saw an extraordinary
appetite to collect,
understand and debate
the natural world.
In 1753, Parliament took the decision to create a universal collection of natural,
cultural and literary objects not only for the inspection and entertainment
of the learned and curious but also for the general use and benefit of the
public. The result was the British Museum, which continued to grow until
1881, when the natural history collection was separated and the Natural
History Museum created as a distinct physical entity.
The Cathedral of Nature that houses the Museum today was built by Alfred
Waterhouse as a stunning celebration of natural diversity. Its architecture
continues to inspire as one of the most recognisable and best-loved buildings
in the world. Since its move to South Kensington the Museum has carried on
expanding its horizons, most notably through the incorporation of the adjacent
Geological Museum and Walter Rothschilds Zoological Museum in Tring.
The natural history elements of the original collection, gathered since the
late seventeenth century by Sir Hans Sloane, form the nucleus of the NHMs
remarkable collection. Comprising over 80 million specimens, the present
collection contains some of the worlds greatest scientific and cultural
treasures: specimens from expeditions by Charles Darwin, Alfred Russell
Wallace, Mary Anning and Dorothea Bate; iconic objects such as the worlds
oldest bird, Archaeopteryx; the first-discovered Neanderthal skulls; and moon
rocks from the lunar landings. It is a unique scientific repository in which to
examine the specimens and people that have changed how we think about
the natural world.
The collection has always been, and continues to be, a resource for scientific
discovery and debate. In 1842 Richard Owen (the first superintendent of the
NHM) described for the first time a group of extinct species which he called
Dinosauria. These terrible lizards, the fossilised remains of which were then
being excavated from the quarries and cliffs of southern England, revealed
a lost world, and along with many of the Museums other treasures, played
a leading role in once again revolutionising our understanding of the origins
of natural diversity and our own species.
This rich history is fundamental to our future. The Natural History Museum
has the breadth, authority, experience and public impact to reinvent the
role of natural history museums in the twenty-first century.
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 CITIZEN SCIENCE
The NHM is a national centre of expertise for monitoring
UK biodiversity. The focus for this activity is the Angela
Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity, which leads on citizen
science projects acting as a hub to bring together amateur
naturalists and the wider public on questions such as
the impact of air quality on biodiversity in urban areas,
the effects of climate change on flowering plants and
their pollinators, and the spread of non-native species.

We create tools that underpin scientific work on UK

biodiversity, including the official index of names of
UK organisms that underlies the systematic recording
of British wildlife and Leafsnap UK, an app that uses
visual recognition software to identify 156 tree species
from photos of their leaves.

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O
ur present
The NHM is a trusted
source of knowledge
about the natural world.
Our unique influence derives
from our extraordinary
collection, our pioneering
international research
and public enthusiasm
for the stories that we tell.
We provide access to one of the most important natural history collections in
the world. Documenting 4.5 billion years of the solar system and life on Earth,
the collection contains more than one million type specimens that are used
to define species more than any other natural history collection in the world.
We are also home to an extensive library of written and illustrative natural
history materials and the collection continues to grow, most recently with
new molecular and digital holdings. The collections continuing development,
along with its unique historical, geographical and taxonomic extent, makes
it an immensely powerful tool to explore the science of nature.
The worlds scientific community draws extensively on the NHM and its
expertise. As we enter a new age of scientific discovery, our collection and
research are playing an increasingly important role in making new discoveries
and testing new theories. Together with universities, research institutes and
museums around the world, we are bringing scientific disciplines together
to discover new biological and mineral species, highlight the impact of
climate change on natural systems that support life, combat the loss of
biodiversity and the spread of diseases, explore new sources of scarce
minerals and reveal the evolution of our own and other species. We lead
the world in examining the natural world and, with our research partners,
tackle questions of fundamental importance to science and society.
We also provide outstanding education, training and learning opportunities.
We host school groups from across the UK and develop teaching and learning
materials and experiences to support the national curriculum. At more
advanced levels, we train postgraduate students, deliver a wide range
of specialist training courses, and play a lead role in major European
training programmes. Our diverse and accessible public programmes
also successfully engage families and adult learners.
Overall, the NHM inspires people about the natural world across generations
and across the globe. Over five million people visit us in London and Tring,
Hertfordshire each year. We reach millions more around the world through our
touring exhibitions, websites, apps and social media. Through our programme
of exhibitions and events, we act as a forum for debate on contemporary
challenges to society and the natural world, and we pioneer new ways
to engage people with nature, history and science.
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 HIGH-IMPACT SCIENCE
We use our unique collection and expertise to address
scientific and societal challenges that will shape the future.
We are tracking how quickly species respond to global
warming in order to predict the impact of future changes.
We are studying the effects of change on biodiversity,
helping to design better global conservation strategies.

Our work on parasites is used in treating neglected

tropical diseases to improve human health, and our
knowledge of plant biology is fundamental to interpreting
genomic information on crops to feed the worlds growing
population. Research on geological materials has found
new ways to extract scarce minerals needed for modern
technologies, and our understanding of space science is
used to prevent damage to the global communications
network of satellites.

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O
ur narratives

Three big narratives Origins and evolution

Understanding the past is one of the most powerful tools in interpreting
underpin how we develop
the present and the future. Uncovering the vast history of our solar
the collection, pursue our system, planet Earth and the evolution of life represents one of humanitys
research and shape the finest intellectual endeavours. The NHMs collection, expertise and public
stories that we tell. reach offer a unique opportunity to deepen our knowledge of that history
and engage a broad audience in exploring this fascinating narrative.
Our scientists study the mechanisms that underlie the formation of our
solar system and planet; the key transitions in this 4.5 billion year story;
and the origins, evolution and diversification of life, including our own
species. With a deep understanding of the past, we look to identify the
direction and impact of future changes.

Diversity of life
Biodiversity is of supreme relevance to a series of pressing global
challenges, many of which disproportionately affect the worlds most
vulnerable people. By mapping global patterns of diversity across species,
habitats and ecosystems from the deepest oceans to tropical rainforests,
from the remotest deserts to urban landscapes our experts assess the
current state of biodiversity and reveal relationships among species with
respect to their place in the tree of life and their role in nature. Using new
technologies, the NHM is developing a twenty-first-century toolkit to collect,
identify and document natural diversity. We engage the public directly in this
crucial scientific mission, and their valuable insights are allowing us to help
conserve and restore important habitats and ecosystems.

Sustainable futures
Our planet is entering a period of rapid environmental change. Such changes
threaten the stability of the natural systems on which human wellbeing
depends as well as the supply of resources that underpin global economies.
Working with other organisations, we study the effects of biodiversity loss,
pollution, mineral extraction and spread of diseases and provide the expert
knowledge on which to build innovative solutions to these challenges.
At the same time, our public profile as a voice of authority on the natural
world allows us to engage the public in the debate on sustainable
approaches to how we use our natural resources.

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O
ur priorities

An ambitious programme Digital

of change and investment The digital revolution is transforming how science is done, how information
will redefine the Natural is shared and how people engage with the natural world and the process
History Museums impact of scientific discovery.
on society. We will embrace these changes to reinvent how we make our collection
and expertise available to scientific and general audiences worldwide:

Big, open data Deliver a programme of large-scale digitisation

to make our collection available to everyone
Global virtual communities Build online communities and our
NHM membership scheme around our three big narratives and issue
an engaging, topical stream of information, news and commentary
T
 echnology innovation Create platforms to enhance the experience
of our visitors prior to, during and after their visit, develop a virtual forum
that complements what we offer members and other groups and expand
our commercial revenue streams

Key projects
Mass digitisation of collections; new website
and social media channels; rich digital content
for use both in-gallery and for mobile devices

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National
A longstanding appreciation of the natural world provides an extraordinary
starting point to engage UK audiences with contemporary science. We want
to use regional networks to increase Britains capacity in scientific, learning
and curatorial disciplines.

We will raise the visibility and impact of our activities across Britain,
including at our site at Tring, by developing collaborative projects:

UK biodiversity and citizen science Create tools to monitor UK

biodiversity, and become a centre for developing UK activities that
engage audiences with the natural world through public participation
in citizen science and touring exhibitions
Learning outreach Lead a programme working with national and
regional organisations to enhance science learning in schools and beyond
Opening up the nations collections Forge a collaborative network
of natural history collections, sharing expertise and best practice
and developing shared collection use and storage facilities

Key projects
Innovative tools for recording UK biodiversity;
collaborative citizen science centre; national
programme of learning outreach; expert
network of collections and training

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 International
We must act at a global level to tackle the most important scientific
and societal challenges faced by the natural world and humanity.

We will play a more visible leadership role to forge international partnerships

and pursue large-scale scientific, public and commercial initiatives:

Partnerships and leadership Pursue an international programme

of activities and exhibitions, engaging a global audience in our three
big narratives and developing new commercial opportunities to better
exploit the Museums brand, collection and expertise
N
 ext-generation biodiversity discovery Lead an international
consortium to develop a twenty-first-century toolkit for the discovery
of biological diversity and apply this to explore hyper-diverse systems
S
 cientific grand challenges Use our collection and expertise to tackle
questions of fundamental relevance to science and society, including
environmental change, the spread of diseases and the supply of food
and scarce minerals

Key projects
Global touring exhibitions; expert consultancy
business; next-generation toolkit for
biodiversity discovery; research centres
focused on grand challenges

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London
We are immensely proud to be one of the worlds great public museums
in a truly global city. We will continue to make our collection and research
available to all who visit.
To engage our visitors with debates on our three big narratives, we will
create innovative new galleries, exhibitions and events:
Inspire our visitors Establish new authoritative galleries and an appealing
programme of exhibitions and events that inspire new audiences, engage
them with debates on the natural world and encourage them to become
NHM members
Informal learning Expand our learning centre and programme of
activities to increase our engagement with those in formal education,
families and community groups
Visitor experience Improve the NHM experience by creating better
circulation in our grounds and building, increasing capacity and providing
better information to reduce queuing and provide a richer experience

Key projects
The Hintze Hall and grounds redevelopment;
new Life on Land and Butterflies, Insects
and Plants galleries; inspiring exhibitions
and events; expanded learning centre;
new circulation route

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 TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY
COLLECTION
The Natural History Museum is constantly developing the
collection in response to the needs of the global scientific
community. Molecular technologies have revolutionised
how biological science is done and how our collection
is used. Over the past five years we have created a
new molecular collection facility and an ancient DNA
laboratory where next-generation sequencing is used
to read DNA from very old and very small samples.
We can now extract genomic information from almost any
biological material to tackle questions we would never have
dreamed of a decade ago. Our genomic collections are being
used to monitor the spread of tropical diseases and changes
in UK biodiversity, support citizen science programmes and
create a genebank for endangered species.

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O
ur future

To achieve our aims we We will work in cross-disciplinary teams and build meaningful partnerships
with outside organisations, involving scientific collaboration, sponsorship,
must be outward-looking
commercial projects, media programming and shared technology platforms.
and responsive to our We must prioritise our resources to focus on our key objectives:
audience needs.
People
An expert and passionate community of people work, study and volunteer
at the Museum. Our people provide the foundation for all our activities.
The rich combination of their skills and the relationships they form fuels
the potential for ideas that will change the future. We will continue to recruit
and develop talent from around the world and cultivate an environment
where we share, internally and externally, to succeed.

Infrastructure
The next 25 years will witness the transformation of our South Kensington
building, one of the nations most iconic, which has stood for nearly 150
years. At each stage of the transformation we will improve the fabric
and infrastructure of our estate to meet the needs of our activities and
audiences. We will also invest in systems and technology that make us
more effective at managing information and mobilising our data to enrich
global scientific knowledge.

Finance
A strong financial performance will give us greater control of our future.
We must develop a new business model to expand our sources of
self-generated income, including commercial activities, philanthropy,
sponsorship and externally-funded awards. This will require investment
in our commercial ventures and in our ability to engage with sponsors,
supporters and volunteers.

Beyond 2020
The next five years provide the foundation for our longer-term plans.
These include redeveloping several more of our major galleries and further
programmes of digitisation, outreach and exhibitions based on our collection.
We will also embark on a major new venture: the Earth and Planetary Sciences
Centre. The Centre will provide world-class facilities for collections, research,
learning and engagement in earth and planetary sciences to complement our
investment in the life sciences in the Darwin Centre.

21
All images The Trustees of the
Natural History Museum, London
Page 2 The Acropora millepora
is a branching coral species native
to the Indo-Pacific. This specimen
was collected in 1973 and is part
of the Morris coral collection
donated to the Museum in 2011.
NHM scientists study corals
to understand and conserve
marine biodiversity hotspots
Page 4 Specimens stored in spirit
jars in state-of-the-art facilities
in the Darwin Centre are accessed
by scientists from all over the world
Page 6 Secondary school pupils
participating in a human evolution
workshop at the Natural History
Museum
Page 8 Swallowtail butterfly
Papilio machaon, one of the
181,544 specimens of British and
Irish butterflies digitised as part
of the NHMs iCollections project,
our first pilot project for the
digitisation of our insect collection
Page 10 Archaeopteryx lithographica,
the type specimen, is around 147
million years old. This spectacular
fossil helped prove that modern
birds evolved from dinosaurs and
provided key support for Darwins
theory of evolution
22
Page 12 Bluebell Hyacinthoides
nonscripta growing in the grounds
of the Natural History Museum.
Since 2006 the Museum has invited
the public to participate in an annual
survey to build a nationwide picture
of when bluebells, both native and
non-native species, start flowering
each year
Page 14 Large mass of silver-white
skutterudite, a cobalt arsenide
mineral, from the Bou Azzer mine
in Morocco. Through field trips, NHM
curators are enhancing the breadth
of the Museums collection with
ore suites from this unique locality.
Our researchers are working with
industry partners to find new ways
to discover and extract scarce
elements in a sustainable way
Page 20 Children taking tablets of
praziquantel to treat the parasitic
infection schistosomiasis in
Senegal. The NHM is a World Health
Organisation collaborating centre for
the identification of schistosomes
and their snail hosts and actively
contributes to treatment
programmes in affected regions
For copies or to order
large-print, Braille or audio
versions, please contact:
Email: nhmstrategy@nhm.ac.uk
Web: www.nhm.ac.uk
The Natural History Museum
2015
ISBN 978-0-565-09380-8
All efforts have been made
to list all copyright holders.
Please contact the Natural
History Museum to request
an amendment to be made
to future editions.
The Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 5BD
Tel: 020 7942 5000
The Natural History Museum
at Tring
Akeman Street
Tring
Hertfordshire HP23 6AP
Tel: 020 7942 6171
The paper used in this document
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