Expanding Access and Storage for the Borderland Biological Collections at the University of Texas at El Paso

德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校（UTEP）生物多样性收藏馆收藏了代表奇瓦瓦沙漠的具有全球意义的自然历史标本，以及西半球最大的中非两栖动物和爬行动物标本收藏之一。 与UTEP生物多样性收集相关的数据为政策，教育和科学研究提供信息，以解决紧迫的社会问题，如新出现的疾病，气候变化和保护。 适当管理生物收藏品对于确保全球受众获得这些重要的研究和教育材料至关重要。 该项目将用新的存储系统取代不断恶化的橱柜，以改善访问，标本条件，并使扩展成为可能。该项目将保护几个重要地区的生物多样性遗产，包括奇瓦瓦沙漠、中非和澳大利亚西南部。 此外，在一个主要的西班牙裔服务机构，为本科生和研究生提供培训机会，他们将协助转移和重组这些藏品，获得博物馆科学，系统学和科学传播方面的技能。这个能力提高项目将解决植物标本馆空间有限的问题，容纳82，000多个标本，爬虫类藏品超过21个，000个标本，使新的标本处理成为可能。 将为这些收藏品安装压缩机系统，并将根据现有的分类知识和最佳做法对这些收藏品进行重组。将对标本进行再处理，以改善转移时的储存和标本条件。 将实施一个独立于分类法的物体跟踪系统，以促进标本监测，更快地处理贷款申请，并增加研究和教育的可访问性。 该项目还将改善实验室空间，并为快速发展的生物系的其他教师提供便利。最后，博物馆展览和外展展览将通过集中展示几个生物多样性热点地区（Madrean Pine-Oak林地、东非山地和澳大利亚西南部）的收藏优势来庆祝该项目的完成。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Biodiversity Collection houses natural history specimens of global significance representing the Chihuahuan Desert, and one of the largest collections in the western hemisphere of amphibian and reptile specimens from Central Africa. The data associated with the UTEP Biodiversity Collection informs policy, education, and scientific research addressing pressing societal issues, such as emerging diseases, climate change, and conservation. The proper stewardship of biological collections is critical for ensuring access to these important research and educational materials for a global audience. This project will replace deteriorating cabinets with new storage systems to improve access, specimen conditions, and enable expansion. The project will preserve the biodiversity heritage of several important regions, including the Chihuahuan Desert, Central Africa, and Southwestern Australia. In addition, training opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students, at a major Hispanic serving institution, who will assist with the transfer and reorganization of these collections, gaining skills in museum science, systematics, and science communication.This capacity improvement project will address space limitation in the herbarium, housing more than 82,000 specimens, and the herpetology collections, with more than 21,000 specimens, to make new specimen processing possible. Compactor systems will be installed for these collections, which will be reorganized following current taxonomic knowledge and best practices. Specimens will be re-curated to improve the storage and specimen conditions as they are transferred. An object tracking system, independent of taxonomy, will be implemented to facilitate specimen monitoring, process loan requests more quickly, and increase accessibility for both research and education. The project will also improve lab space and facilitate access to the collections for additional faculty in a rapidly growing biology department. Finally, a museum exhibit and outreach displays will celebrate the completion of this project by focusing on showcasing collection strengths in several biodiversity hotspots (Madrean Pine-Oak Woodlands, Eastern Afromontane, and Southwest Australia).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.