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Small Collections Grant

This page is used to provide assessment scores for each  grant application assigned to you. Please use the rubric below the grant details to enter your assessment scores and any notes you wish to include.
Please note that all scores entered must be whole numbers (no decimals), or you will be unable to save this form.

Digital Roots: Connecting Science and Society through the Yucatán Peninsula's Digital Flora

carneval@cicy.mx

México

Digitally image, Conserve

Cost (USD): 

1910

CICY

Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán A. C. (CICY)

Objective:

CICY holds the most comprehensive collection of the Yucatan Peninsula Biogeographic Province (YPBP). It is also a critical reference for the flora of southeastern Mexico and northern Central America. With the YPBP being a deforestation hotspot, the relevance of CICY becomes crucial. Our objective is to continue the flora’s documentation by 1) Digitizing 2000 specimens of endemic, endangered, and culturally significant species of the YPBP, and 2) Promoting universal access to this information by updating the images available on the Digital Flora website.

Timetable:

Month 1: Produce a list of 2.000 endemic, endangered, and culturally significant specimens. Configure the space and equipment for digitization to ensure the best image quality.
Month 2-9: Digitization of selected specimens. Periodic image backup in external hard drive. Progress monitoring to address any challenges that may arise during the digitization process. At the same time, update and validate the information of the specimens to ensure data integrity and reliability.
Month 9-11: Update the websites FDPY and HCD with the images and information produced. We are currently seeking other funding sources to increase the computing power and storage space of these sites, to enhance the user experience
Month 11-12: Finalize all aspects of the digitization, database update, and website modernization. Prepare promotional materials to publicize the updated FDPY and HCD websites and encourage user engagement.

Scoring Rubric

Reviewer's name:

Collection Improvement (max. 120 points)

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  • Facilitating access to the physical collections by digitization (e.g., data entry, setting up database structure with an outline of the platform to be used, purchasing equipment, and imaging specimens) – up to 30 points.

  • Enhancing physical collections by improving the conservation status of specimens in the herbarium (e.g., better folders, protecting covers, mounting paper, labeling, etc.) – up to 30 points.

  • Curating specimens (e.g., updating families, species identification, identifying types) – up to 20 points.

  • Increasing our understanding of the flora or funga by making new herbarium specimens available, such as processing of backlog or collecting and mounting of new specimens from understudied sites – up to 20 points.

  • Securing collections by distribution of duplicates (or orphan collections) to other regional or international herbaria or shipping endangered collections to another herbarium – up to 20 points.

This proposal scores:

/120

Methods & Funding (max. 40 points)

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  • Match between the proposed budget and methods for the aims described – up to 10 points.

  • Perceived need, the extent to which the project will benefit from IAPT funding: e.g., due to active floristic work or contribution to poorly collected sites, due to threatened conditions of collections, and for the degree of involvement of others (outreach and education). We give more points for herbaria in low- and middle-income countries – up to 20 points.

  • Sharing duplicate specimens with other herbaria – up to 10 points.

This proposal scores:

/40

Broader Impacts (max. 40 points)

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  • Degree of regional importance of the collection or the taxonomic importance of the targeted collection – up to 10 points.

  • The project will yield durable benefits (specimens, digitized metadata, databases, websites) – up to 15 points.

  • The project involves outreach/mentoring and broad dissemination – up to 15 points.

This proposal scores:

/40

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Year of last successful SCG application:

Has applicant applied for SCG before?:

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Plan:

The first objective is to digitize a selection of specimens representing endemic and endangered species for the YPBP, as well as plants of cultural significance to the Mayan culture. This targeted approach ensures the preservation of invaluable botanical records crucial for understanding and conserving regional biodiversity while recognizing and preserving traditional knowledge. A small part of the collection of CICY has been already digitized and can be consulted online on the Digital Flora website, however, we require the appropriate equipment to continue the process and to ensure the highest possible image quality. We will receive advice from Dr. Gustavo A. Romero-González; who is a curator at AMES and has been involved in the digitization process for that collection. The team of five researchers and six technicians associated with CICY will select the specimens of endemic, endangered, and culturally important species based on scientific value, record completeness, and specimen's rareness.
The digitized specimens will be published alongside their complete information on the Digital Flora (FDPY) website and the Herbario CICY Digital (HCD). The team of CICY will catalog, curate, and integrate the information associated with each specimen. Thus guaranteeing access to this information for people across the globe. This will also highlight the importance of regional herbaria as a source of both scientific and cultural-historical knowledge.

Institution:

IH Code:

Country:

Target areas:

Applicant First Name/s:

email:

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"Other" target:

Germán Carnevali

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Applicant Last Name/s:

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