diff --git a/docs/portal_config.md b/docs/portal_config.md
index 88178aeaa..2d9246762 100644
--- a/docs/portal_config.md
+++ b/docs/portal_config.md
@@ -420,7 +420,16 @@ Below is an example, with inline comments describing what each JSON block config
       },
       "search": {
         "searchBar": {
-          "enabled": true
+          "enabled": true,
+          "inputSubtitle": "Search Bar", // optional, subtitle of search bar
+          "placeholder": "Search studies by keyword", // optional, placeholder text of search input
+          "searchableTextFields": ["study", "age", "publication"] // optional, list of properties in data to make searchable
+                                                                  // if not present, only fields visible in the table will be searchable
+        },
+        "tagSearchDropdown": { // optional, config section for searchable tags
+          "enabled": true,
+          "collapseOnDefault": false, // optional, whether the searchable tag panel is collapsed when loading, default value is "true"
+          "collapsibleButtonText": "Study Characteristics" // optional, display text for the searchable tag panel collapse control button, default value is "Tag Panel"
         }
       },
       "advSearchFilters": {
diff --git a/src/Discovery/Discovery.css b/src/Discovery/Discovery.css
index b97652886..5ed35d3d0 100644
--- a/src/Discovery/Discovery.css
+++ b/src/Discovery/Discovery.css
@@ -97,6 +97,11 @@
   height: 90%;
 }
 
+.discovery-header__dropdown-tags-container {
+  flex: 3 1 60%;
+  height: 90%;
+}
+
 .discovery-header__tags-header {
   padding-left: 50px;
   cursor: default;
@@ -142,7 +147,7 @@
 .discovery-tag {
   cursor: pointer;
   line-height: 18px;
-  font-size: 10px;
+  font-size: 12px;
   box-sizing: border-box;
   border-radius: 5px;
   border-width: 2px;
@@ -183,7 +188,7 @@
   overflow-y: auto;
 }
 
-.discovery-search-container {
+.discovery-search-container__standalone {
   margin-bottom: 10px;
 }
 
@@ -191,7 +196,7 @@
   border-color: var(--g3-color__base-blue);
   border-width: 1px;
   border-radius: 7px;
-  max-width: 500px;
+  max-width: 800px;
 }
 
 .discovery-input-subtitle {
@@ -339,6 +344,38 @@
   border-color: unset;
 }
 
+.discovery-header__dropdown-tags-control-button {
+  color: var(--g3-color__base-blue);
+  border-color: var(--g3-color__base-blue);
+  min-width: 150px;
+  margin-left: 8px;
+  height: 40px;
+  border-width: 1px;
+  border-radius: 7px;
+}
+
+.discovery-header__dropdown-tags-control-panel {
+  width: 100%;
+  padding-right: 16px;
+  padding-left: 16px;
+  display: flex;
+  justify-content: space-between;
+  align-items: baseline;
+}
+
+.discovery-header__dropdown-tags-display-panel .ant-collapse-header {
+  display: none;
+}
+
+.discovery-header__dropdown-tags-search {
+  width: 50%;
+}
+
+.discovery-header__dropdown-tags .ant-select-show-search.ant-select:not(.ant-select-customize-input) .ant-select-selector {
+  border-width: 1px;
+  border-radius: 7px;
+}
+
 .discovery-modal {
   box-sizing: border-box;
 }
diff --git a/src/Discovery/Discovery.tsx b/src/Discovery/Discovery.tsx
index 2bda1be8c..539509668 100644
--- a/src/Discovery/Discovery.tsx
+++ b/src/Discovery/Discovery.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,16 @@
 import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
 import * as JsSearch from 'js-search';
-import { Tag, Popover } from 'antd';
 import {
-  UnlockOutlined, ClockCircleOutlined, DashOutlined,
+  Tag, Popover, Space, Collapse, Button,
+} from 'antd';
+import {
+  UnlockOutlined, ClockCircleOutlined, DashOutlined, UpOutlined, DownOutlined, UndoOutlined,
 } from '@ant-design/icons';
 import { DiscoveryConfig } from './DiscoveryConfig';
 import './Discovery.css';
 import DiscoverySummary from './DiscoverySummary';
 import DiscoveryTagViewer from './DiscoveryTagViewer';
+import DiscoveryDropdownTagViewer from './DiscoveryDropdownTagViewer';
 import DiscoveryListView from './DiscoveryListView';
 import DiscoveryDetails from './DiscoveryDetails';
 import DiscoveryAdvancedSearchPanel from './DiscoveryAdvancedSearchPanel';
@@ -24,6 +27,8 @@ export enum AccessLevel {
   NOT_AVAILABLE = 4,
 }
 
+const { Panel } = Collapse;
+
 const ARBORIST_READ_PRIV = 'read';
 
 const getTagColor = (tagCategory: string, config: DiscoveryConfig): string => {
@@ -199,6 +204,12 @@ const Discovery: React.FunctionComponent<Props> = (props: Props) => {
   const [discoveryActionStatusMessage, setDiscoveryActionStatusMessage] = useState({
     url: '', message: '', title: '', active: false,
   });
+  const [searchableTagCollapsed, setSearchableTagCollapsed] = useState(
+    config.features.search.tagSearchDropdown
+    && config.features.search.tagSearchDropdown.enabled
+    && (config.features.search.tagSearchDropdown.collapseOnDefault
+      || config.features.search.tagSearchDropdown.collapseOnDefault === undefined),
+  );
 
   const handleSearchChange = (ev) => {
     const { value } = ev.currentTarget;
@@ -476,6 +487,14 @@ const Discovery: React.FunctionComponent<Props> = (props: Props) => {
     config,
   );
 
+  const enableSearchBar = props.config.features.search
+  && props.config.features.search.searchBar
+  && props.config.features.search.searchBar.enabled;
+
+  const enableSearchableTags = props.config.features.search
+  && props.config.features.search.tagSearchDropdown
+  && props.config.features.search.tagSearchDropdown.enabled;
+
   // Disabling noninteractive-tabindex rule because the span tooltip must be focusable as per https://www.w3.org/TR/2017/REC-wai-aria-1.1-20171214/#tooltip
   /* eslint-disable jsx-a11y/no-noninteractive-tabindex */
   return (
@@ -491,21 +510,72 @@ const Discovery: React.FunctionComponent<Props> = (props: Props) => {
           visibleResources={visibleResources}
           config={config}
         />
-        <DiscoveryTagViewer
-          config={config}
-          studies={props.studies}
-          selectedTags={selectedTags}
-          setSelectedTags={setSelectedTags}
-        />
+        {(enableSearchableTags) ? (
+          <div className='discovery-header__dropdown-tags-container' id='discovery-tag-filters'>
+            <Space direction='vertical' style={{ width: '100%' }}>
+              <div className='discovery-header__dropdown-tags-control-panel'>
+                {(enableSearchBar)
+                && (
+                  <div className='discovery-search-container discovery-header__dropdown-tags-search'>
+                    <DiscoveryMDSSearch
+                      searchTerm={searchTerm}
+                      handleSearchChange={handleSearchChange}
+                      inputSubtitle={config.features.search.searchBar.inputSubtitle}
+                    />
+                  </div>
+                )}
+                <div className='discovery-header__dropdown-tags-buttons'>
+                  <Button
+                    type='default'
+                    className={'discovery-header__dropdown-tags-control-button'}
+                    disabled={Object.keys(selectedTags).length === 0}
+                    onClick={() => { setSelectedTags({}); }}
+                    icon={<UndoOutlined />}
+                  >
+                    {'Reset Selection'}
+                  </Button>
+                  <Button
+                    type='default'
+                    className={'discovery-header__dropdown-tags-control-button'}
+                    onClick={() => { setSearchableTagCollapsed(!searchableTagCollapsed); }}
+                    icon={(searchableTagCollapsed) ? <DownOutlined /> : <UpOutlined />}
+                  >
+                    {`${props.config.features.search.tagSearchDropdown.collapsibleButtonText || 'Tag Panel'}`}
+                  </Button>
+                </div>
+              </div>
+              <div className='discovery-header__dropdown-tags-display-panel'>
+                <Collapse activeKey={(searchableTagCollapsed) ? '' : '1'} ghost>
+                  <Panel header='This is panel header 1' key='1'>
+                    <div className='discovery-header__dropdown-tags'>
+                      <DiscoveryDropdownTagViewer
+                        config={config}
+                        studies={props.studies}
+                        selectedTags={selectedTags}
+                        setSelectedTags={setSelectedTags}
+                      />
+                    </div>
+                  </Panel>
+                </Collapse>
+              </div>
+            </Space>
+          </div>
+        ) : (
+          <DiscoveryTagViewer
+            config={config}
+            studies={props.studies}
+            selectedTags={selectedTags}
+            setSelectedTags={setSelectedTags}
+          />
+        )}
       </div>
 
       <div className='discovery-studies-container'>
         {/* Free-form text search box */}
-        { (props.config.features.search
-        && props.config.features.search.searchBar
-        && props.config.features.search.searchBar.enabled)
+        { (enableSearchBar && !enableSearchableTags
+        )
             && (
-              <div className='discovery-search-container'>
+              <div className='discovery-search-container discovery-search-container__standalone'>
                 <DiscoveryMDSSearch
                   searchTerm={searchTerm}
                   handleSearchChange={handleSearchChange}
diff --git a/src/Discovery/DiscoveryConfig.d.ts b/src/Discovery/DiscoveryConfig.d.ts
index e841b408b..45e95cbb6 100644
--- a/src/Discovery/DiscoveryConfig.d.ts
+++ b/src/Discovery/DiscoveryConfig.d.ts
@@ -27,10 +27,14 @@ export interface DiscoveryConfig {
                 enabled: boolean,
                 inputSubtitle?: string,
                 placeholder?: string
-                // searchTags: boolean, // not supported, consider removing
                 searchableTextFields?: string[] // list of properties in data to make searchable.
                                                 // if not present, only fields visible in the table
                                                 // will be searchable.
+            },
+            tagSearchDropdown?: {
+                enabled: boolean,
+                collapsibleButtonText?: string
+                collapseOnDefault?: boolean
             }
         },
         authorization: {
diff --git a/src/Discovery/DiscoveryDropdownTagViewer.tsx b/src/Discovery/DiscoveryDropdownTagViewer.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2a47cb526
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Discovery/DiscoveryDropdownTagViewer.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import _ from 'lodash';
+import {
+  Select, Row, Col, Tag,
+} from 'antd';
+import { DiscoveryConfig } from './DiscoveryConfig';
+
+const { Option } = Select;
+
+interface DiscoveryTagViewerProps {
+  config: DiscoveryConfig
+  studies?: {__accessible: boolean, [any: string]: any}[]
+  selectedTags: any
+  setSelectedTags: any
+}
+
+const DiscoveryDropdownTagViewer: React.FunctionComponent<DiscoveryTagViewerProps> = (props: DiscoveryTagViewerProps) => {
+  // getTagsInCategory returns a list of the unique tags in studies which belong
+  // to the specified category.
+  const getTagsInCategory = (category: any, displayName: string, studies: any[] | null):React.ReactNode => {
+    if (!studies) {
+      return <React.Fragment />;
+    }
+    const tagMap = {};
+    studies.forEach((study) => {
+      const tagField = props.config.minimalFieldMapping.tagsListFieldName;
+      study[tagField].forEach((tag) => {
+        if (tag.category === category.name) {
+          tagMap[tag.name] = 1;
+        }
+      });
+    });
+    const tagArray = Object.keys(tagMap).sort((a, b) => a.localeCompare(b));
+    // get selected tags which value is not 'undefined'
+    const trulySelectedTags = Object.keys(props.selectedTags).reduce((acc, el) => {
+      if (props.selectedTags[el] !== undefined) acc.push(el);
+      return acc;
+    }, []);
+    const valueArray = _.intersection(tagArray, trulySelectedTags);
+
+    return (
+      <Select
+        mode='multiple'
+        showSearch
+        showArrow
+        allowClear
+        maxTagCount={3}
+        style={{ width: '100%' }}
+        id={`discovery-tag-column--${category.name}`}
+        placeholder={displayName}
+        value={valueArray}
+        onSelect={(tag: string) => {
+          props.setSelectedTags({
+            ...props.selectedTags,
+            [tag]: props.selectedTags[tag] ? undefined : true,
+          });
+        }}
+        onDeselect={(tag: string) => {
+          props.setSelectedTags({
+            ...props.selectedTags,
+            [tag]: props.selectedTags[tag] ? undefined : true,
+          });
+        }}
+      >
+        { tagArray.map((tag) => (
+          <Option
+            key={category.name + tag}
+            value={tag}
+          >
+            <Tag
+              key={category.name + tag}
+              role='button'
+              tabIndex={0}
+              aria-pressed={props.selectedTags[tag] ? 'true' : 'false'}
+              className={`discovery-header__tag-btn discovery-tag ${(props.selectedTags[tag]) ? 'discovery-tag--selected' : ''}`}
+              aria-label={tag}
+              style={{
+                backgroundColor: props.selectedTags[tag] ? category.color : 'initial',
+                borderColor: category.color,
+              }}
+            >
+              {tag}
+            </Tag>
+          </Option>
+        ),
+        )}
+      </Select>
+    );
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <Row
+      gutter={[16, 8]}
+      justify='space-between'
+    >
+      {
+        props.config.tagCategories.map((category) => {
+          if (category.display === false) {
+            return null;
+          }
+
+          let categoryDisplayName = category.displayName;
+          if (!categoryDisplayName) {
+            // Capitalize category name
+            const categoryWords = category.name.split('_').map((x) => x.toLowerCase());
+            categoryWords[0] = categoryWords[0].charAt(0).toUpperCase()
+                + categoryWords[0].slice(1);
+            categoryDisplayName = categoryWords.join(' ');
+          }
+
+          const tags = getTagsInCategory(category, categoryDisplayName, props.studies);
+
+          return (
+            <Col
+              className='discovery-header__tag-group'
+              key={category.name}
+              xs={24}
+              sm={24}
+              md={12}
+              lg={12}
+              xl={12}
+              xxl={12}
+            >
+              { tags }
+            </Col>
+          );
+        })
+      }
+    </Row>
+  );
+};
+
+DiscoveryDropdownTagViewer.defaultProps = {
+  studies: null,
+};
+
+export default DiscoveryDropdownTagViewer;
diff --git a/src/Discovery/DiscoveryTagViewer.tsx b/src/Discovery/DiscoveryTagViewer.tsx
index 4b374a549..8ec220aa0 100644
--- a/src/Discovery/DiscoveryTagViewer.tsx
+++ b/src/Discovery/DiscoveryTagViewer.tsx
@@ -26,14 +26,11 @@ const DiscoveryTagViewer: React.FunctionComponent<DiscoveryTagViewerProps> = (pr
       const tagField = props.config.minimalFieldMapping.tagsListFieldName;
       study[tagField].forEach((tag) => {
         if (tag.category === category.name) {
-          if (tagMap[tag.name] === undefined) {
-            tagMap[tag.name] = 1;
-          }
-          tagMap[tag.name] += 1;
+          tagMap[tag.name] = 1;
         }
       });
     });
-    const tagArray = Object.keys(tagMap).sort((a, b) => tagMap[b] - tagMap[a]);
+    const tagArray = Object.keys(tagMap).sort((a, b) => a.localeCompare(b));
 
     return (
       <div>