Small Collections Grant
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Rescuing, digitizing, and disseminating endangered collections from Virginia, U.S.A.
U.S.A.
Database, Curate specimens, Process backlog, Ship to another institution, Conserve
Cost (USD):
1838
VA
University of Virginia
Objective:
1. Transfer ~6,300 specimens from the University of Virginia Herbarium to the Virginia Tech Massey Herbarium (VPI; the largest herbarium in Virginia, U.S.A.)
2. Accession specimens into the VPI catalog and physically file into cabinets
3. Increase access to these specimens by disseminating images, data, and metadata through online databases that are freely available to the public
4. Mentor students in plant taxonomy and curation to broaden participation in botany
Timetable:
The timetable is based on Dr. Metzgar’s extensive experience with the project activities, enabling our project’s feasibility and high potential for success. The specimens are already mounted, photographed, and boxed, so we can begin as soon as funding is secured. Our timetable is as follows:
• Month 1: Hire student assistants through the VPI Federal Work-Study program.
• Month 2: Train assistants in plant identification, herbaria-related activities, workflows for digitizing and disseminating the specimen materials, etc.
• Month 3: Transfer specimens to VPI, inventory, and repair or re-mount as needed. As specimens are unpacked, they will be accessioned into the VPI catalog, filed in cabinets, and added to SERNEC.
• Months 4 – 6: Continue unpacking, accessioning, and filing physical specimens at VPI and databasing images, data, and metadata to SERNEC.
• Months 7 – 9: Check the transcriptions obtained from Notes for Nature via SERNEC, upload to Symbiota, and start connecting Symbiota portal to iDigBio and GBIF.
• Months 10 – 12: Continue adding specimens to Symbiota, SERNEC, iDigBio, and GBIF. Create tutorial to help MLBS staff parallel the workflow for the remaining VA 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
0
Year of last successful SCG application:
Has applicant applied for SCG before?:
No
Plan:
We are collaborating with Dr. Jordan Metzgar at Virginia Tech to transfer ~50% of our specimens to their Massey Herbarium, the largest herbarium in Virginia (refer to his collaboration letter). Dr. Metzgar has been the Curator of the Massey Herbarium for almost a decade and has successfully trained staff, students, and volunteers in plant systematics and botany, herbaria-related activities, and maximizing access to specimens through community-driven platforms (e.g., Notes for Nature, iDigBio). VPI also actively enhances other herbarium and museum collections across the globe, with specimens transferred to over 12 countries across five continents. The ~6,300 specimens we will be transferring to VPI represent over 20 families, localities across Virginia and other parts of the Southeastern U.S.A., and sampling efforts since the late 1800’s. Funding from the IAPT will enable us to carry out collection improvements that have been desperately needed for at least 10 years. Our project will increase access to the physical specimens by transferring them to a larger regional herbarium, improve their longevity through enhanced preservation and storage, increase scientific accuracy of backlogged specimens with current curation and taxonomy, and broadly disseminating the specimens, data, and metadata at global scales.
Institution:
IH Code:
Country:
Target areas:
Applicant First Name/s:
email:
"Other" target:
Sandy
Kawano
Applicant Last Name/s: