Small Collections Grant
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Starting the digitalization and online publication of the historical collections of MEDEL herbarium
Colombia
Database, Digitally image
Cost (USD):
2000
MEDEL
Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Medellín
Objective:
- Get high resolution images of 20.000 specimens.
- Revise and clean the data of the imaged specimens.
- Publish the data of the imaged specimens and at least the images of 2000 specimens at http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/en/collections/search/plants/.
Timetable:
Total time: 12 months
Month 1: Activities planning, digitalization tests and students hiring.
Months 2 to 6: Digitalization and post-processing of the first 10.000 specimens.
Month 6: partial upload of data and images to biovirtual.unal.edu.co
Months 7 to 11: Digitalization and post-processing of the last 10.000 specimens.
Month 12: Final upload of data and images, project closing and report submission.
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.
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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.
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Curating specimens (e.g., updating families, species identification, identifying types) – up to 20 points.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The project will yield durable benefits (specimens, digitized metadata, databases, websites) – up to 15 points.
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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:
In October 2020, the direction of our school department (Facultad de Ciencias) offered a grant to the MEDEL herbarium to purchase a high-resolution camera (Sony A7RIII) and accessory lights to initiate a digitalization project. The funds covered just the equipment and supplemental labour costs for running the project had to be funded by additional resources. Here, we are proposing to hire two students in a part-time job for 5 months each to help with the pre-processing, imaging acquisition and posterior editing of images from 20.000 specimens corresponding mostly to historical specimens collected during the first half of the twenty century.
In order to get the high-quality images and associated metadata in an efficient pace, we will follow the methods suggested by Takano et al (2019) for small and medium size herbaria. Images will be edited and linked to the records already stored in a BRAHMS database and batches of files will be exported to .XML files under Darwin Core format. The data of all specimens and at least a 10% of the images will be later incorporated to the Universidad Nacional institutional online portal biovirtual.unal.edu.co with the support of COL herbarium staff. All activities will be coordinated by the assistant curator and the director of the herbarium.
MEDEL currently has 72.000 specimens in total with around 50.000 databased. The herbarium, was established in 1927 and is the oldest continuing operating herbarium in Colombia.
Institution:
IH Code:
Country:
Target areas:
Applicant First Name/s:
email:
"Other" target:
Jorge Perez Zabala
Applicant Last Name/s: