Small Collections Grant
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Conserving endangered botanical collection of M. R. Almeida (1939–2017) from India: incorporation and digitization
India
Database, Digitally image, Ship, Conserve, Other
Cost (USD):
1990
NGCPR
Naoroji Godrej Centre for Plant Research
Objective:
M.R. Almeida (1939–2017) was a prominent plant taxonomist from India; whose major contribution to the floristic of Western Ghats is noteworthy. This collection was made by him with other co-workers between 1960 to 1998, mainly from Western India and most are referred in the treatment of 'Flora of Maharashtra (Vol.1 to 6)'. Due to poor maintenance, many specimens are deteriorating and needs immediate conservation attention. This proposal is an endeavour to shipping this collection to NGCPR herbarium, its restoration, curation and dissemination via digitization.
Timetable:
Appointment of Botanical Assistant: 15 days (advertisement, interview and appointment for initial 6 months)
Shipment and transportation: 5 workdays (including travel (8hrs), loading and unloading)
Quarantine & Pest control majors: 15 workdays (isolation, deep freezing, fumigation)
Procurement of stationary: 15 workdays (herbarium sheets, archival pens, labels, brush, barcode prints/ stickers, etc)
Sorting, data labelling, curation, remounting: 4 months (includes discard of deteriorated specimens, remounting of poor, loose specimens, labelling, sorting of the specimens according to their origin of collection: BNHS, CIEBA, ALCHMIE, or duplicates from BLAT and BSI; family wise arrangement of legible specimens).
Database entry and barcode: 3 months (enter the specimen label data and sticking the barcode).
Imaging, data compilation and submission: 5+ months (engagement of NGCPR inhouse digitisation team to image the specimens, and submission of the data Godrej Infotech Team for upload on NGCPR webpage)
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:
As I engaged in curation and digitization of our in-house plant collection at Naoroji Godrej Centre for Plant Research (NGCPR). During my last visit to Sawantwadi, the hope was expressed to M. R. Almeida’s son (also custodian of this collection: Mr. Thomas Almeida) that to transfer this collection from his ancestral home at Sawantwadi to NGCPR. And it was granted by him, received positive consent for the transfer.
Present day the NGCPR has been well equipped with modern herbarium specimen storage and infrastructure for imaging and database. Therefore, my focus will be on shipping, curation and incorporation with the help from botanical assistant.
Shipment: Over 8000 plant specimens estimated to transfer Sawantwadi to NGCPR (Shirwal), distance 250 kms. Quarantine & Pest control majors: on arrival of Shipment. Appointment of Botanical Assistant: to sort (classification, recognition of floristic work and organisation viz. Flora of Maharashtra, BNHS, BSI, BLAT, etc.), cleaning, data entry and imaging the legible specimens, compilation and digitisation with the help from in-house (Godrej Infotech Team). Dissemination: Digitized images and data via online portal of NGCPR Herbarium for masses and public through NGCPR webpage (Herbarium: http://ngcpr.org/herbariumList.aspx) with zero access charges. A detailed information about this unique collection its creator- M. R. Almeida will be made available on the same portal.
Institution:
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Country:
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Applicant First Name/s:
email:
Procurement, curation and incorporation of the plant collection housed at his ancestral home at Sawantwadi, India
"Other" target:
Mayur Dhondiram Nandikar
Applicant Last Name/s: