Founded in 1930, the Institute is a UK charity (NGO) that specialises in mammal taxonomy and biodiversity studies in the Old World tropics and subtropics, especially southern and Southeast Asia, Arabia and eastern Africa

It has published a number of monographs including 'The Mammals of Arabia' (1992) and the 'Bats of the Indian Subcontinent' (book in 1997; CD-Rom in 2000)

It aims to increase scientific capacity in developing countries and thereby assist foreign governments meet their obligations under the CBD (Convention of Biological Diversity), with particular reference to Articles 7, 8, 13, 17 and 18 and the Global Taxonomy Initiative

In recent years, its research and training programmes have been supported by a range of national and international grants and sponsorship. These include the British Council (2008-2010), The Royal Society (2006-2008), the British Ecological Society (2006), the Darwin Initiative (2002-2005 and 2005-2008), and the Prince of Songkla University, Thailand (2005-2007)

Other sponsors since 2000 include the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, BP Conservation, Total Oil, the 100% Fund of Flora and Fauna International, the Linnean Society, the Royal Geographical Society, the Systematics Association, Premier Oil, Orient Express Trains and Cruises, Air Mandalay and Kent Bat Group

Recent scientific highlights include

• the naming, with international colleagues, of six species of bat new to science: Kerivoula kachinensis (2004 - Myanmar); Murina harrisoni (2005- Cambodia); Pipistrellus raceyi (2006 - Madagascar); Kerivoula titania (2007 - Cambodia); Hipposideros boeardii (2007 - Sulawesi); Murina tiensa (2007 - Vietnam) [for details, see papers listed below]

Recent events include

• completing in March, 2008 a three year Darwin Initiative project entitled Taxonomic Initiative for Southeastern Asian bat studies (Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam) - outputs include eleven trained students (BSc/MSc/PhD), eleven scientific research papers, a technical manual, information brochures, workshops and conferences, websites, museum exhibits, enhanced voucher specimen collections, 6 TV documentaries, a series of radio programmes and newspaper articles and the naming of two bat species new to science

• co-organising the Prince of Songkla University (Thailand) and Texas Tech University, USA the First International South-East Asian Bat Conference. This took place in Phuket from 7-10 May, 2007 and was attended by 120 delegates (both staff and students) from 25 countries in five continents. 89 presentations were made

• participation in the SAMD (Southeast Asian Mammal Database) workshop in Bogor, Java (May, 2006)

Recent publications include (pdf versions, for study purposes, available on request):

Bates, P.J.J., F.H. Ratrimomanarivo, D.L. Harrison and S.M. Goodman. 2006. A description of a new species of Pipistrellus (Chiroptera Vespertilionidae) from Madagascar with a review of related Vespertilionidae from the island. Acta Chiropterologica, 8(2): 299-324.

Bates, P.J.J. S.J. Rossiter, A. Suyanto, and T. Kingston. 2007. A new species of Hipposideros (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) from Sulawesi. Acta Chiropterologica, 9(1): 13-26.

Bates, P.J.J., M. Struebig, B. Hayes, N. Furey, Khin Mya Mya, V.D. Thong, P.D. Tien, C. Francis and G. Csorba. 2007. A new species of Kerivoula (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Southeast Asia. Acta Chiropterologica, 9(2): 323-337.

Bates, P.J.J., M. Struebig, S.J. Rossiter, T. Kingston, S.S. Lin Oo and Kin Mya Mya. 2004. A new species of Kerivoula (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Myanmar (Burma). Acta Chiropterologica, 6(2): 219-226.

Bates, P.J.J., Tin Nwe, Si Si Hla Bu, Khin Mie Mie, Nyo Nyo, Aye Aye Khaing, Nu Nu Aye, Yin Yin Toke, Naing Naing Aung, Mar Mar Thi and Iain Mackie. 2005. A review of the genera Myotis, Ia, Pipistrellus, Hypsugo and Arielulus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Myanmar (Burma), including three species new to the country. Acta Chiropterologica, 7(2): 205-236.

Bumrungsri, S., D.L. Harrison, C. Satasook, A. Prajukjitr, S. Thong-Aree and P.J.J. Bates. 2006. A review of bat research in Thailand with eight species records new for the country. Acta Chiropteroligica, 8(2): 325-359.

Csorba, G. and P.J.J. Bates. 2005. Description of a new species of Murina from Cambodia (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae: Murininae). Acta Chiropterologica, 7(1): 147-163.

Csorba, G., V.D. Thong, P.J.J. Bates and N.M. Furey. 2007. Description of a new species of Murina from Vietnam (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae: Murininae). Museum of Texas Tech University, Occasional Papers No. 268: 1-9.

Lamb, J.M., T.M.C. Ralph, S.M. Goodman, W. Bogdanowicz, J. Fahr, M. Gajewska, P.J.J. Bates, J. Eger, P. Benda and P.J. Taylor. 2008. Phylogeography and predicted distribution of African-Arabian and Malagasy populations of giant mastiff bats, Otomops spp. (Chiroptera: Molossidae). Acta Chiropterologica, 10(1): 21-40.

Pereira, M.J.R., H. Rebelo, E. Teeling, S.J. O'Brien, Tin Nwe, I. Mackie, Si Si Hla Bu, Khin Maung Swe, Khin Mie Mie, and P.J.J. Bates. 2006. Status of the world's smallest mammal, the bumble-bee bat Craseonycteris thonglongyai, in Myanmar. Oryx, 40(4) 456-463.

Soisook, P. , S. Bumrungsri, A. Dejtaradol, C. Francis, G. Csorba, A. Guillen-Servent and P. Bates. 2007. First records of Kerivoula kachinensis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Thailand. Acta Chiropterologica, 9(2): 339-345.

Teeling, E.C., M.S. Springer, O. Madsen, P. Bates, S.J. O'Brien, and W.J. Murphy. 2005. A molecular phylogeny for bats illuminates biogeography and the fossil record. Science, 307 (5709): 580 - 584.

Thong, V.D., S. Bumrungsri, D.L. Harrison, M.J. Pearch, K.M. Helgen and P.J.J. Bates. 2006. New records of Microchiroptera (Rhinolophidae and Kerivoulinae) from Vietnam and Thailand. Acta Chiropterologica, 8(1): 83-94.

Thong, V.D., V.T. Tu, P.D. Tien, C-W. Chu, Juliana, P. Bates, and N. Furey. 2007. Echolocation call frequency of Marshall's Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus marshalli from Cat Ba National Park and its current status in Vietnam. Proceedings of the 2nd National Scientific Conference on Ecology and Biological Resources, Hanoi: 274-277.