Small Collections Grant
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Processing, accessioning and digitization of fungal specimens’ backlog– An attempt to establish fungal collection at ISL Herbarium, Pakistan.
Pakistan
Database, Digitally image, Process backlog
Cost (USD):
2000
ISL
Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Objective:
Quaid-I-Azam University Herbarium (ISL) housed 150,000 specimens and is largest in Pakistan but unfortunately no fungal collection exists in this herbarium. During the last four years through several field trips around the country mainly directed to collect fungal specimens which redounded in ca. 1000 specimen's backlog. These specimens were collected from underexplored localities.
Main objectives are:
1. To process and accession all backlog fungal specimens.
2. To digitize all the type specimens.
These attempts will help to accelerate the establishment of fungal collection at ISL Herbarium.
Timetable:
The following tasks will be conducted during 20 weeks (5 months).
1. Processing of backlog collection:
Week1-2: Freezing of backlog collection.
Week3-5: Sorting of specimens into different genera and families.
2. Accessioning of backlog collection:
Week6-8: Preparation of specimen labels.
Week9-14: Mounting of specimens on herbarium sheets.
3. Digitization of type specimens:
Week15-16: Digitization include making photographs and assigning a universal barcode number to all type specimens.
Week17-19: Submission of metadata and all the relevant details of type specimens to Mycology collection portal.
Week20: Submission of project report.
To accomplish all these tasks a curator will be hired for 5 months. There is no single curator at ISL who is working for the curation of fungal specimens.
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:
1. Processing:
• Samples before accessioning will be frozen at −20 °C for two weeks to kill all insects and insect eggs.
• All specimens will be sorted according to genera and families. For this purpose, recent fungal classification will be followed.
2. Accessioning:
• Proper labels will be prepared, including the following information;
Specimen name,
Unique accession/herbarium number,
Voucher number,
Date of collection
Locality
Collector name
Possible host
Genbank accession numbers
Geographical coordinates
Description notes
• Samples will be properly packed in paper envelopes or zip-lock plastic bags alongwith their label and mounted on herbarium sheets for deposition. The photographs and notes are kept with the specimen.
• For long term storage, the specimens will tried to keep as dry as possible. For this purpose, specimens will be sealed in zip-lock bags with silica gel desiccant.
• If a single collection is large, the collection may be split and a portion will be sent to another herbarium as a duplicate.
3. Digitization:
• All the type specimens will be given a universal barcode, photographed and metadata associated with them will be digitized using recent trends of digitization in open herbaria including Farlow herbarium, Harvard University, USA and Kew Herbarium, UK.
• Mycology collection portal (Symbiota) will be used to deposit the data in order to make it accessible to the mycologists and researchers.
Institution:
IH Code:
Country:
Target areas:
Applicant First Name/s:
email:
"Other" target:
Malka Saba
Applicant Last Name/s: