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.
The missing picture: digitizing Herbarium of Niterói (NIT) to completion.
Brazil
Database, Digitally image, Process backlog
Cost (USD):
1965
NIT
Universidade Federal Fluminense
Objective:
Our collection’s digital database includes all relevant information on every single mounted specimen label. However, due to a lack of appropriate equipment, a very important step in collection digitization has been on hold: imaging. With this project, we aim to provide the Herbarium of Niterói (NIT) with the necessary supplies to (i) create and publish digital images for all specimens, (ii) improve specimen storage and processing conditions and (iii) process backlog specimens under a new protocol which includes imaging.
Timetable:
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has restricted access to our facility, especially for students, we would expect lower working hours than usual and so we are planning our timetable accordingly. Following an estimate provided by The Arkansas State University (STAR) Herbarium in 2017 for digitization of small herbaria, completely digitizing a collection of about 5000 specimens, with just one person working one quarter of full time, should take a total of 290 hours. Since label data is already typed and uploaded, we can expect to conclude verifications and corrections, imaging and uploading data in 7 months. We estimate backlog specimens to amount to roughly 500 specimens. Processing these will include mounting, labeling and digitization, which should take another 2 months, bringing our project to a total of 9 months.
Scoring Rubric
Reviewer's name:
Collection Improvement (max. 120 points)
-
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)
-
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)
-
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
Year of last successful SCG application:
Has applicant applied for SCG before?:
Plan:
Once the equipment is available, we will systematically photograph specimen sheets, along with a ruler for scale and a color palette for reference, working our way through all plant families until the entire collection is imaged. Nomenclatural verifications will be carried out before photographing specimens to make sure that label updates are made prior to imaging.
After each family is completely photographed, images will be uploaded and associated with the records in our open-access digital database (nit.jbrj.gov.br). Then, backlog specimens will be mounted, labeled, photographed and stored in their respective cabinets. Their digital images and label data will also be uploaded to our database.
The curator and assistant curator will treat this task as top priority, employing graduate student workforce whenever possible in order to accelerate the process.
Institution:
IH Code:
Country:
Target areas:
Applicant First Name/s:
email:
"Other" target:
Adriana Quintella Lobão
Applicant Last Name/s: