Institutional outputs were submitted on the online reporting system by all partner institutions for Quarter 4 (January to March 2021):
Comparison of outputs 2019/20 to 2020/21
A comparison of outputs in 2019 and 2020 shows the impact of the national lockdown on collections use. Most outputs saw a decrease, except for the following which increased:
- number of specimens identified for external stakeholders (2019/20: 22,464 ; 2020/21: 46,845),
- number of papers published (2019/20: 201; 2020/21: 252),
number of DNA samples added (2019/20: 149; 2020/21: 201)
Linking publications/research projects to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and societal importance
As part of the Value of Collections project we have set up a webpage on the NSCF website for the documentation of the use of the collections. https://nscf.org.za/resources/the-value-of-natural-science-collections/
The aim, which is becoming increasingly important, is to inform policy influencing long term sustainability, and communicate how the collections contribute to sustainable development as well as promote social appreciation and cohesion.
Each of us has a responsibility to provide evidence to policy makers and the public about the value of the collections and associated research in a way that will make it clear that these are national assets and contribute to the wellbeing of society in various ways.
In a previous newsletter we asked for your contributions. In the meantime we have setup some templates to make this task easier. If we can document at least 2 research projects that contribute to the SDGs, and a story of the historical importance of 1 iconic specimen, from each institution, our combined contributions can make the case for our collections.
The templates are available here for your use. We are imploring each partner institution to contribute and by so doing help the Value of Collections task team members to put together a meaningful and accurate picture of why our collections exist, and should continue to be funded in future:
Spreadsheet for listing details of relevant research projects/papers: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VuL3wzvxeEyD5L3DLIDgreQ_I2F_xT6f5ZGt846geOk/edit?usp=sharing
Template for submitting a story on an important research project/iconic specimen: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lg3THRgQO6ahQVeZoh_fZ-TizOHuoRcm/view?usp=sharing