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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.
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Data Mobilization of the BCRU Herbarium Bryophyte Collection: Enhancing Biodiversity Knowledge in Patagonia Argentina and Antarctica

ccalvino@comahue-conicet.gob.ar

Argentina

Database, Digitally image, Process backlog, Ship, Conserve

Cost (USD): 

2000

BCRU

Universidad Nacional del Comahue

Objective:

1. Train undergraduate students in herbarium management, focusing on curation and digitization.
2. Curate and database 1,400 specimens of bryophytes (Anthocerotophyta, Bryophyta and Marchantiophyta) from Patagonia Argentina and Antarctica.
3. Digitally image ca. 200 Anthocerotophyta specimens from Patagonia Argentina.
4. Make the digitized data accessible online using FAIR principles.
5. Publish a checklist of bryophytes from Patagonia Argentina.

Timetable:

Key steps, detailing tasks, assigned personnel, and estimated weekly dedicated hours per person:
Months 1–2: Plan the course. Acquire camera and budgeted supplies. Set up imaging station. Develop and test curation, databasing and imaging workflows. (BCRU staff, 10h/week).
Month 3: Train students. Select students to assist in digitization. (BCRU staff, 5h/week).
Months 4–8: Reorganize collection and conduct pre-digitization curation. Loan duplicates. (BCRU-C curator/CONICET technician/B-expert, 2 students, 4.5h/week).
Months 9–10: Database specimens to Elysia and digitally image Anthocerotophyta specimens (BCRU director/BCRU-C curator/ B-expert, 2 students, 8h/week).
Months 11–12: Make BCRU-CB accessible online. Publish annotated checklist (BCRU staff, B-expert, 4h/week).

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:

1. Train students: A hands-on course on herbarium curation and digitization will be offered by BCRU staff to train future biologists. Selected students will assist in curating and digitizing the BCRU Cryptogams-Bryophytes sub-collection (BCRU-CB).
2. Curate and database specimens: The collection will be reorganized for better handling and space efficiency. Workflows for curation and databasing will be developed and tested by BCRU staff. Of 1,400 specimens, 350 require mounting, labeling, and barcoding, while the remaining 1,050 need only barcodes. Specimen data, including coordinates, will be entered into Elysia. Duplicates will be loaned to other herbaria.
3. Imaging: An imaging station will be set up, and a workflow created once a new camera is acquired. Each specimen will have a high-resolution archival image and two derivatives (one for easy-working purposes and another for online publishing). Images will be stored in the University's digital repository.
4. Online accessibility: The digitized BCRU-CB collection will be published in GBIF and accessible through the portal of Biodiversity data from Argentina, with potential inclusion in the Consortium of Bryophyte Herbaria portal, too.
5. Checklist: The digitized data will contribute to an annotated checklist of Patagonian bryophytes, to be published in the Journal of Bryology and/or GBIF.

Institution:

IH Code:

Country:

Target areas:

Applicant First Name/s:

email:

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"Other" target:

Carolina I Calvino

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Applicant Last Name/s:

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