Small Collections Grant
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Imaging and digitisation of the herbarium collection at the National Museum, Bloemfontein
South Africa
Curate specimens, Digitally image, Process backlog
Cost (USD):
3000
NMB
National Museum, Bloemfontein
Objective:
To accelerate the digitisation of the NMB herbarium collection and improve digital access to its specimens.
To reduce specimen backlog and enhance overall collection management and organisation.
To improve the conservation and curation status of the herbarium collection.
To build institutional capacity by training interns or emerging botanists in herbarium digitisation and curation practices.
Timetable:
Year 1:
Equipment setup, recruitment and training (Months 1–3);
active specimen imaging, databasing, backlog processing, and concurrent curation (Months 4–12).
Year 2:
Continued digitisation and database integration (Months 13–20);
final data verification, quality control, database consolidation, and project reporting (Months 21–24).
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
2022
Year of last successful SCG application:
Has applicant applied for SCG before?:
Yes, but it was unsuccessful
Plan:
The project will begin with the procurement and installation of additional imaging equipment, followed by the recruitment and training of a digitisation assistant or intern in standardised herbarium imaging, metadata capture, and database procedures. Specimens will be prioritised from backlog and historically significant collections and systematically digitised according to best-practice standards. During imaging, specimens will be assessed for conservation needs, re-labelled where necessary, and reorganised following updated taxonomic arrangements. Verified metadata and high-resolution images will be integrated into the herbarium database, with periodic quality control to ensure data accuracy and workflow efficiency.
Institution:
IH Code:
Country:
Target areas:
Applicant First Name/s:
email:
"Other" target:
Lydia
Madika
Applicant Last Name/s: