IDigBio Natural History Collections Summer Internship Program

Important Information

This Reference Guide has been modeled from the NSF GRFP Reference Guide (2019).

This cycle's application deadline (receive by 11:59p) March 11, 2022

Solicitation covers Cohort 2 – April-Dec 2022

Applications must be submitted through this link. Additional components (letters of reference and academic transcripts) must be submitted to Jeanette Pirlo (idigbiointernships@floridamuseum.ufl.edu) by the application deadline (March 11, 2022).

Applications are due at 11:59p on March 11, 2022. Late applications will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Reference letters are due at 11:59p on March 11, 2022.

General Information

Program Title: iDigBio Natural History Collections Summer Internship Program (iDB-SIP)

Synopsis of Program: iDigBio is the national coordinating center for NSF’s 10-year Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections (ADBC) program, which is guided by the vision to digitize and mobilize hundreds of millions of vouchered natural history museum specimens for research. These digitized data constitute a primary platform for “Big Data” research in the biodiversity sciences. Once aggregated, they are freely available for education, outreach, and other Broader Impacts activities. The goal of this program is to leverage the existing collections network created by iDigBio and ADBC to engage undergraduate students from underserved communities with authentic research experiences in natural history collections (NHCs) with the goal of exposing them to the variety of career opportunities and required skill sets related to the biodiversity sciences. In this effort, we are offering 10 summer internship positions at the in 2022 at our partnering institutions:

1. Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville FL

2. Field Museum, Chicago, IL

3. University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, CA

4. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Program Description: The iDigBio Summer Internship program will provide funding for undergraduate students from accredited institutions to work within a partnering natural history collection (see below for lab descriptions) over an 8-week period during the summer of 2022. Interns will be expected to help with the digitization, curation, and research efforts in their lab, with options to complete their own research project. Interns will participate in virtual and in-person meet-ups with their cohort to build professional skills including, but not limited to: grant writing, scientific poster designs, and scientific writing throughout their cohort year (April - December 2022). Interns will also receive funding to attend a professional meeting in 2023 to disseminate their research and experience to the greater science community. Interns will also have the option to participate as peer mentors for subsequent cohorts.

Coordinators:

• Jeanette Pirlo, Principal Investigator
• Molly Phillips, iDigBio EODI Liaison
• Gil Nelson, iDigBio Director & Advisory Committee

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Internship

Estimated Number of Awards: 10

iDigBio expects to award 10 Summer Internships per fiscal year under this program solicitation pending availability of funds.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $6,780

Per award (Internship), pending availability of funds.

Each internship consists of 8 weeks of support during a 7-month period. iDigBio plans to provide a stipend of $5,280 to the Intern and up to $1,500 for travel and meal expenses for conference attendance and participation.

2021 Partnering Natural History Collections Descriptions

We have 8 partnering Natural History Collections laboratories across the country including (1) University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL (2) Field Museum, Chicago, IL; (3) University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, CA. (4) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, open for internship positions for the 2022 Summer Cohort. Interns should apply to labs within an hour radius of their summer residence. You will have a chance to select your top 2 choices below. It is important to note that we will be selecting participants for placement of labs that are within 1 hour radius from their summer residence. Please carefully read the lab descriptions below.

Field Museum (Chicago, IL)

Botany – Dr. Matt von Konrat Accelerating the pace of scientific discovery: Uncovering hidden biodiversity spanning over 400 million years! Matt von Konrat, originally from Aotearoa/New Zealand, is a researcher at the Field Museum interested in the biodiversity of ferns, mosses and moss-like plants called liverworts. This internship would be focusing on these early land plants, which are used as environmental indicators of climate change and are considered evolutionary very significant. These early land plants have an amazing evolutionary history spanning 420 million years ago and were the dominant plant groups for hundreds of millions of years afterwards. Today these ecologically significant group of plants form a dominant and conspicuous part of the ecosystem in many regions all around the world. You will join a team helping unlock valuable information from 1000’s of scientific collections. Some plants are microscopic in their size yet have remarkable and stunning features that can also be investigated. The project will contribute to online access of collections data to researchers worldwide who will be able to address pressing questions about the evolution, distribution, and biology of land plants. Applications of this data extend to conservation, climate change and global warming. You will be joining a research and collection team, including Yarency Rodriguez and Heaven Wade, both early career scientists, that are directly involved in projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Research opportunities and skills developed may be broad and tailored to individual interests. Collaborating together we can help guide the successful mentee through framing your own hypothesis within your project. Opportunities might extend to machine learning depending on interest and skill set. Machine learning applications have achieved state-of-the-art performance in various computer vision tasks and have been applied to medical diagnoses and speech recognition. Images produced during this project can be applied to this rapidly expanding technology. This has substantial potential for supporting taxonomy, natural history collection management, and species identification using previously unidentified morphological landmarks, and for understanding important evolutionary and ecological innovations. Skills developed: Depending on interests and skills, this could include development of computer-aided tools, coding, machine learning, digital microscopy, analysis, herbarium skills, morphometrics, plant systematics, and DNA laboratory skills. Questions or hypotheses might include: 1) Investigating the utility of machine learning to detect phenotypic structures, morphological landmarks, and reproductive structures in selected species; 2) Testing taxonomic and evolutionary hypotheses regarding morphologically cryptic species using molecular tools. In addition to collections-based research, there is the potential to be involved in community science projects connecting natural history to the general public and educators and students.

Mammalogy – Dr. Noé U. de la Sancha As a classically trained mammologist, Dr. de la Sancha focuses on field ecology. The primary research goals of the lab are to answer questions dealing with the effects of anthropogenic habitat disturbance on patterns of biodiversity and health of population in these habitats. Using statistical modeling, geographic information systems (GIS), morphometrics, phylogenetics, field and museum data, our lab aims to improve our understanding of various dimensions of biodiversity primarily in the tropics and more recently in urban habitats. Successful interns in the lab can potentially work on projects focusing on loss and fragmentation of habitat, which is a primary driver for mammal extinction, explore the impact of cacao farms on mammalian biodiversity in Côte d’Ivoire, morphometrics or population genetics of the urban brown rat and grey squirrels in the Chicago area, or work with 3D models of rodents for the FuncQEE to determine structural diversity. The aim of the summer intern is to expose student to museum-oriented sample curation and the use of museum specimens to ecological questions.

University of California, Museum of Paleontology (Berkeley, CA)

Invertebrate Paleontology – Dr. Ashley Dineen This project will support the rehousing, curation, and web-mobilization of the Cambrian and Ordovician (~541 to 445 million years ago) marine invertebrate collections held in the Museum of Paleontology at the University of California, Berkeley (UCMP). This collection records one of the most important intervals in life’s history, providing insight into early animal evolution and the rapid diversification of life in the oceans. Our goals are to: 1) rehouse specimens to improve their accessibility and prevent future deterioration; 2) create a digital record for every specimen that captures both taxonomic and locality data for roughly 14,000 Cambrian and Ordovician marine invertebrates; 3) digitize archival records, photographs, and field notes that provide important context to the age and history of the specimens; 4) provide the scientific community and the public with this information and data online; 5) use this collection data to develop web content containing short highlights of our Cambrian and Ordovician fauna for education and public outreach. Our overall aim is to preserve this historical and scientific collection and increase the integration and accessibility of the collections and associated data for both research and educational purposes.

Vertebrate Paleontology – Dr. Pat Holroyd The UCMP collections are worldwide in scope, but especially rich in fossils from the last 30 million years of life in the western US. Our 2022 intern will work to modernize and assist in the identification, curation and digitization of our California fossil mammal collections. Interns will learn to properly document paleontological data and to navigate archives, translate older documentation into modernized digital form, learn about the practices of naming animals, how to georeference and read topographic maps, and the basics of specimen imaging. The intern will also participate in a collaborative research project based on our collections. Potential projects may be about curatorial workflows and digital conservation, involve working with CT data sets, or be primary descriptive study based on new occurrences or new taxa. Successful applicants will have a love of natural history and display strong attention to detail and the ability to work carefully with fragile and scientifically valuable specimens and archival documents. Prior knowledge of mammalian anatomy or experience in working with geographic data is a plus, but is not required.

University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology (Ann Arbor, MI)

Museum of Paleontology – Dr. Jen Bauer The U-M Museum of Paleontology (UMMP) is home to over 2 million fossil specimens with three divisions: Invertebrate Paleontology, Vertebrate Paleontology, and Paleobotany. Successful candidates for the UMMP will be expected to help in day-to-day operations to gain skills in collection management as well as participate in a research project. Day-to-day operations include but are not limited to: (1) Cataloging and curating donations to the museum. The UMMP receives new donations annually and many specimens that require identification, proper labeling, cataloging, imaging, and archival storage. (2) Curation and digitization of type specimens. This includes rehousing specimens in archival trays and material, labeling specimens, making new labels, imaging specimens, georeferencing location information, and making 3D models using photogrammetric techniques. (3) Card Catalog Digitization. This project is a concerted effort to digitize and transcribe our specimen card catalog. It involves imaging or scanning cards to build a community science project on Notes from Nature (Zooniverse). Bulk imaging of specimens can be automatically sliced using MATLAB scripts. Research projects include but are not limited to: (1) Analysis and post-processing of CT data of a complete Mississippian ophiuroid (brittle star). This project will involve segmenting individual skeletal elements from an ancient brittle star for comparison with isolated pieces that are more commonly found throughout geologic time. This will involve learning data analysis software and techniques, understanding ophiuroid morphology, and comparing elements in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Tennessee. Has the potential to be a publication and to learn CT imaging techniques. (2) Experimental treatment of pyrite disease. An ongoing research project where we try to better understand the long-term care options for specimens that are impacted by pyrite disease. This will involve imaging specimens, mechanically and chemically treating specimens, observing changes over periods of time. Will likely result in a publication. (3) Description and assessment of exceptionally preserved rhombiferan (extinct echinoderms). An exceptionally preserved rhombiferan needs to be taxonomically described and the preservation of its arm-like structures need to be evaluated in the context of the paleoenvironment. This will involve literature reviews, image analysis, comparisons to other described taxa. Will likely result in a publication. Successful applicants for this position will need to have an eye for detail and be thoughtful in their work ethic. Many specimens and their associated documentation are fragile and will require delicate handling. Candidates will gain knowledge of museum collection management processes and procedures, curation, database management, and the research process.

Ichthyology Laboratory – Dr. Randy Singer Come join the Fish Division at the University Of Michigan Museum Of Zoology! Our work involves many opportunities to explore all aspects of wet (fluid-preserved) collections curation, data generation, georeferencing and taxonomy. Participants in the 2021 internship program will assist in all aspects of collections work at the University Of Michigan Museum Of Zoology’s world renowned Research Museum Center. Successful applicants will display enthusiasm in fish biodiversity and collections care and use and have the ability to work carefully with fragile and scientifically valuable specimens. Interns will receive hand-on training but will be expected to work independently occasionally without direct supervision. In return, they will gain skills valuable to working in and running a world-class natural history collection and will have countless opportunities to learn fish taxonomy, ecology and biogeography. Given the high research activity at the UMMZ, interns may even have the opportunity to participate in research if time and interest allow. Potential curatorial tasks may include, but are not limited to: 1) curating specimens already cataloged in collection 2) conducting rehydration on desiccated or damaged specimens 3) Helping with accessions of new material or cataloging/preparation of already obtained material 4) Introductions to other collections and how they are run

University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History (Gainesville, FL)

Laboratory of Molecular Systematics & Evolutionary Genetics - Soltis Lab Florida is part of a biodiversity hotspot and is home to ~4000 species of plants. These plant species form unique and complex communities that are the basis for the iconic ecosystems of Florida, from the Everglades to the sand hill scrub. How will this immense diversity of plant life respond to climate change? Will species go extinct or move to new habitats? Will current protected areas be adequate to protect plant communities in the future, or will new conservation areas be needed? Using computational methods, natural history specimens collected over the past few centuries, and phylogenetic trees built from DNA sequence data, this research explores the underlying abiotic environmental variables (temperature, precipitation, soil composition) that govern a species’ distribution, investigates where species might occur under alternative climate scenarios, and discovers whether or not the species are likely to occur on protected lands. This real-world research will have consequences for conservation of Florida’s biodiversity. The position will involve building and using phylogenetic trees constructed from DNA sequence data and will also introduce students to modeling approaches using digitized herbarium specimen data. Work will be conducted in the field and in the Florida Museum’s Herbarium and Molecular Lab. The successful applicant will have a passion for plants and for conservation of biodiversity. The student need not have molecular or computational skills prior to the internship, but familiarity with DNA extraction techniques and PCR will be helpful for lab work, and a basic understanding of ecology and experience with R will be helpful. Through the internship, the student will gain foundational skills in both molecular phylogenetics and ecological niche modeling.

Biodiversity Informatics - Guralnick Lab Are you interested in data sciences and Museums and wonder where the intersection is? Join the Guralnick Lab at the Florida Museum to work on potentially two overlapping projects, each a very different view on that intersection. The first project is all about climate change and how the timing of plant leaf-out and plant flowering varies in response to these changes. Our group is pioneering the science and tools for looking at phenology using both imaged herbarium specimens and citizen science photographs from iNaturalist. Your work would entail annotating images to report on phenology and work on a small project where you could examine phenology changes over time and in relation to changing climates. We are excited to also get you involved in training in how machine learning may be used to scale up our understanding of phenology change across all flowering plants. A related project is much more focused on citizen science and how to develop citizen science projects that support two themes in the lab - phenology and documenting color and color variation across species and environments. You would work with Guralnick Lab members to build citizen science projects using the Notes from Nature platform and learn how such projects get built, how to engage with volunteers, and use a variety of tools for outreaching with those volunteers. Both tasks require collaboration with member of the lab, attention to detail, and working with data tools. You will learn how to use tools such as R and Python, and you will be able to take a small project from start to finish. Your work can not only lead to writing up your own short paper, but also you will produce and publish data that support reproducibility in science.

Eligibility Information

Organization Limit: Internship applications must be submitted by the prospective Intern. Confirmation of current registration at an accredited institution (2 or 4- year college/university) at the time of the Internship acceptance, no later than March 20, 2022. Prospective Interns must enroll in a non-profit university, college, or other institution of higher education accredited in, and having a campus located, in the United States, its territories, or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico that offers degrees in STEM no later than the fall of the year the award is accepted. All Interns from the date of Acceptance through Completion or Termination of the Internship must be enrolled in a degree-granting institution accredited in, and having a campus in, the United States, its territories, or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Applicant Eligibility: Applicants must self-certify that they are eligible to receive the Internship. To be eligible, an applicant must meet all of the following eligibility criteria by the application deadline:

• non-profit university, college, or other institution of higher education accredited in, and having a campus located, in the United States, its territories, or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico that offers degrees in STEM.
• have never earned a Bachelors, Masters, Doctoral or terminal degree in any field.

Undergraduate students may apply once per cohort year.

Limit on Number of Applications per Applicant: 1

An eligible applicant may submit only one application per cohort year.

Detailed Eligibility Requirements: Described in detail below are the eligibility requirements for the iDigBio Natural History Collections Summer Internship Program (iDB-SIP): (1) degree requirements, and (2) field of study. Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire program solicitation carefully to ensure that they understand all of the requirements. Applicants must self-certify that they intend to participate in the iDB-SIP cohort for that application cycle, and that they meet all eligibility criteria.

1. Degree Requirements: Applicants are eligible to apply as undergraduate students at an accredited academic non-profit institution.

2. Field of Study: Internships are awarded for research in Natural History Collections. Interns do not have to be majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education, but are strongly encouraged to have an active interest in STEM related fields. If awarded, Interns must be enrolled in a part-time or full-time degree program at an accredited non-profit academic institution for the Fall 2022 academic school year.

Application Preparation Instructions

To apply for the iDigBio Summer Internship program, please complete for the application. Note that this is a multi-component application that requires you to complete all portions to be considered. Application period is from February 1-March 11, 2022.

Applications must be received by 11:59p Eastern. Applications received after this deadline will be returned without review.

All reference letters must be submitted electronically by the reference writer to Jeanette Pirlo (idigbiointernships@floridamuseum.ufl.edu; pdf format; subject line “ApplicantLastName_ApplicantFirstName_iDB-SIP_Reference_RefereesLastName”) and must be received by 11:59 Eastern Time on March 11, 2022. Two character reference letters are required for applications to be reviewed. Applicants are strongly encouraged to identify a third reference writer in case someone cannot submit a letter. If fewer than two reference letters (one or none) are received by the reference letter deadline, the application will be returned without review.

Applicants must submit the following information through the Qualtrics Application Module: Personal Information, Education, Lab Preference, Personal Statement, Research Interest Statement, name and email of Reference Writers, and Personal Goals/Expectations for this internship. Unofficial academic transcripts, and two (2) character reference letters must be submitted to Jeanette Pirlo (idigbiointernships@floridamuseum.ufl.edu) in PDF format. Review of the application and reference letters is based solely on materials received by the application and reference letter deadline.

Applicants must follow the instructions in the Qualtrics Application Module for completing each section of the application. The statements must be written using the following guidelines:

• Standard 8.5’ x 11” page size • 12-point, Times New Roman font • 1” margins on all sides • Single-spaced (approx. 5 lines per inch) or greater line spacing. Do not use line spacing options such as “exactly 12 point,” that are less than single spaced.

Compliance with these guidelines will be judged based on the document as it appears in the Qualtrics Application Module after it is uploaded. Applicants are strongly encouraged to proofread and upload their documents early to ensure compliance. Applications that are not compliant with these format requirements will be returned without review.

The maximum length of the Personal Statement is three (3) pages. The maximum length of the Research Interest Statement is two (2) pages. The page limits include all references, citations, charts, figures, images, and lists of publications and presentations. Applicants must certify that the two statements (Personal and Research Interest Statement) in the application are their own original work.

In the application, applicants must list all of the baccalaureate institutions they currently attend or have attended in the past with a start date prior to the Fall 2021 term. Transcripts are required for all institutions listed. At least one transcript must be included for the application to be accepted.

Transcripts must be submitted electronically to Jeanette Pirlo (idigbiointernships@floridamuseum.ufl.edu; PDF format) by the deadline. Applicants should redact personally-identifiable information (Student ID number, Social Security Number, etc.)

Application Completion Status

Applicants should use the Application Completion Status document to ensure all application materials, including character reference letters, have been received by the iDigBio team before the deadlines. For technical support, please email idigbiointernships@floridamuseum.ufl.edu.

Withdrawal of iDigBio Natural History Collections Summer Internship Program: To withdraw a submitted application, the applicant must withdraw their application by emailing Jeanette Pirlo at idigbiointernships@floridamuseum.ufl.edu.

Application Preparation and Submission Instructions

Application Preparation Instructions: To apply for the iDigBio Summer Internship program, please complete the following application. Note that this is a multi-component application that requires you to complete all portions to be considered. Application period is from February 1-March 11, 2022.

Required components: A. Fill out application B. Personal Statement (3-page limit) C. Research Statement (2-page limit) D. 2 Reference Letters E. Academic Transcripts

A. Online Application: Please answer the questions in the online application by following the link: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5vwnWiZ2hIdjJ9Y

B. Personal Statement: Please describe your educational and professional development plans and career goals. Describe your personal, educational and experiences that motivate you to apply for this internship. Include specific examples of any research and/or activities in which you have participated. Please note that your application will still be considered even without previous experience in research. Page limit-3 pages single spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, 1-inch margins.

Important questions to ask yourself when writing your statement:

1. Why are you interested in participating in this internship program? 2. What examples of leadership skills and unique characteristics do you bring to this program? 3. What strengths do you have that make you a qualified applicant? 4. What barriers have you had to overcome to get to this point of your educational career? 5. What barriers do you foresee having to overcome to achieve your educational, professional, and career goals?

C. Research Statement: After reading through the lab descriptions below, write a statement about your top 3 choices. Please note that we will be placing our selected interns in labs that are no more than 1-hour distance from their summer residence. Please describe your interest in your choices. Include a short research project idea that you may have based on the descriptions provided. Discuss the potential of the research to advance knowledge and understanding of the science as well as the potential for broader impacts on society. Please note that your application will still be considered even without previous experience in research. Page limit: 2 pages single spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, 1-inch margins.

Important questions to consider when writing your statement:

1. What issues in the scientific community are you most passionate about? 2. What technical knowledge and skills would you like to learn through this research opportunity? 3. How do your interests fit into the importance of broader impacts on society?

D. Reference Letters: Please submit reference letters from TWO (2) mentors that can attest to your character (academic mentor or other) submitted to Jeanette Pirlo (idigbiointernships@floridamuseum.ufl.edu; please attach as PDF) by March 11, 2022. The subject line should read: "ApplicantLast Name_ApplicantFirst Name_iDB-SIP_Reference_Referees'LastName". The reference letter should provide details describing the nature of the relationship with the applicant, the applicant's potential and prior experiences that will benefit from this internship experience, statements about the applicant's academic potential, and any other information that will be helpful for the review panel to evaluate the application. Reference letters must be sent from mentors' email address, not directly from the applicants. Late reference letters will not be accepted under any circumstances. You will be able to provide up to 3 reference writers name and email information below.

Improving your chances of obtaining strong reference letters:

1. Choose references that will speak to your abilities and potential, not based on their title. 2. Provide referees sufficient time to write you a strong letter. 3. Discuss and share your application and statements with them. 4. Track submission of letters through the Application Completion Status Tracker at http://bit.ly/iDB-SIPAppTracker 5. Have backup references in case your primary references cannot submit a letter.

E. Academic Transcripts: Your transcripts provide an opportunity for the evaluators to view the courses you've taken, allowing them to determine your level of preparation for the expected work. Please submit your UNOFFICIAL Academic Transcripts to Jeanette Pirlo (idigbiointernships@floridamuseum.ufl.edu; Please attach as PDF) by March 11, 2022. The subject line should read: "Last name_First Name_iDB-SIP_Transcripts".

Application Submission: Application must be submitted through the Qualtrics application portal. Additional components (Reference Letters and Academic Transcripts) need to be submitted via email to Jeanette Pirlo (idigbiointernships@floridamuseum.ufl.edu). All components of the application must be received by 11:59p March 11, 2022. Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed. a. Reference Letters: Applicants must submit two (2) letters of reference from academic mentors. Letters of reference must be attached as a PDF to the email. Subject of email should say: "ApplicantLast Name_ApplicantFirst Name_iDB-SIP_Reference_Referees'LastName". Reference letters must be sent from mentors' email address, not directly from the applicants. Late reference letters will not be accepted under any circumstances. b. Academic Transcripts: Applicants must submit UNOFFICIAL academic transcripts from all institutions attended. Transcripts must be attached as PDF to the email. Subject of email should say: "ApplicantLastName_ApplicantFirst Name_iDB-SIP_Transcripts".

Application Review Information Criteria

Applications are reviewed by the iDigBio Summer Internship Program Officers and Internship Mentors. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts of interest with the applicants. Selection of a Lab of Interest determines, but is not limited to, the internship lab fellow is placed, if awarded a Fellowship.

Merit Review Criteria:

iDigBio Coordinators will review applications for, but not limited to:

a. Completed online application

b. Completed Personal Statement

c. Completed Research Statement

d. Letters of Reference from 2 referees

e. Academic Transcripts

Each application will be reviewed independently following the National Science Foundation’s Merit Review Criteria using all available information in the completed application. In considering applications, reviewers are instructed to address the two Merit Review Criteria as determined by the iDB-SIP Program Officers – the Personal Statement and the Research Statement. Applicants must include separate statements on their Personal Statement and their Research Statement in order to provide reviewers with the information necessary to evaluate the application with respect to both Criteria as detailed below.

The following description of the Merit Review Criteria is provided in below:

All iDB-SIP proposals are evaluated through the use of the Personal and Research Statements.

The two merit review criteria are listed below. Both criteria are to be given full consideration during the review and decision-making processes; each criterion is necessary but neither, by itself, is sufficient. Therefore, proposers must fully address both criteria. Reviewers are strongly encouraged to review the criteria prior to the review of a proposal.

When evaluation iDB-SIP proposals, reviewers will be asked to consider what the proposers want to do, why they want to do it, and what benefits to society can be determined if the project is successful. These issues apply both to the technical aspects of the proposal and the way in which the Fellows’ contribution may make broader contributions. To that end, reviewers will be asked to evaluate all proposals against tow criteria:

• Personal Statement: The Personal Statement criterion encompasses the potential to broaden representation in Museum Collections Science, and STEM; and
• Research Statement: The Research Statement criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge and to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.

The following elements should be considered in the review for both criteria:

• What is the potential to broaden representation in Museum Collections?
• What leadership skills or unique characteristics does the applicant bring to this program?
• To what extent does the applicant suggest or explore transformative concepts?
• What is the potential to advance knowledge?
• What benefit to society could be provided?

Application Review and Selection Process

The application evaluation involves the review and rating of applications by iDB-SIP Coordinators and Internship Mentors.

The primary responsibility of each reviewer is to evaluate eligible iDB-SIP applications by applying the Merit Review Criteria described in section VI.A and to recommend applicants for iDB-SIP Internships. Reviewer are instructed to review the applications holistically, applying the Merit Review Criteria and noting iDB-SIP’s emphasis on demonstrated potential for significant broadening of representation in Museum Collections science and STEM careers in general. After Internship offers are made, applicants are able to review verbatim reviewer comments, including the names of the reviewers.

Additional Program Information

Tentative Monthly Webinar Series

• April: Orientation Webinar
• May: Science Communication Through Social Media
• June: Participant’s Choice
• July: Participant’s Choice
• August: Designing your Conference Poster

Award Administration Information

Notification of the Award: iDigBio-Summer Internship Program applicants will be notified of the outcomes of their applications by end- March of the competition year. iDigBio publishes lists of Internships on the iDB-SIP website at https://www.idigbio.org/content/idigbio-natural-history-collections-summer-internship-2021 in mid-April.

Award Conditions: An iDigBio-Summer Internship Program Fellowship award consists of the award notification letter that includes the applicable terms and conditions and Fellowship management instructions.

The Applicant must accept or decline the fellowship by April 15 of the competition year by emailing Jeanette Pirlo at idigbiointernships@floridamuseum.ufl.edu. Failure to comply with the deadline and acceptance of the Fellowship Terms and Conditions by the deadline will result in revocation of the Fellowship offer and render the applicant ineligible to re-apply.

iDigBio will award the iDB-SIP grants to the Fellow at the start of the summer internship in a monthly manner.

Terms and Conditions

Awardees must formally accept and agree to the terms and conditions of the Internship award. Acceptance of the Internship constitutes a commitment to pursue a summer internship in their assigned laboratory. Acceptance of an Internship award is an explicit acceptance of this commitment and assurance that the Intern will be duly enrolled in a baccalaureate program indicated in their application at the beginning of the academic year AFTER the summer internship concludes. Fellows are expected to make satisfactory progress towards the completion of their internship project. In cases where Interns have misrepresented their eligibility or have failed to comply with the Internship Terms and Conditions, the Internship will be revoked.

Responsible Conduct of Research

It is the responsibility of the Intern, in conjunction with the iDB-SIP lab, to ensure that all academic and research activities carried out in the US comply with the laws or regulations of the US in which the academic and/or research activities are conducted. These include appropriate human subject, animal welfare, copyright and intellectual property protection, and other regulations or laws, as appropriate. All academic and research activities should be coordinated with the appropriate US government authorities, and necessary licenses, permits, or approvals must be obtained prior to undertaking the proposed activities.

In response to the America COMPETES Act, all Interns supported by iDigBio (and subsequently the NSF) to conduct research are required to receive appropriate training and oversight in the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research.

Research Involving Human Subjects

Projects involving research with human subjects must ensure that subjects are protected from research risks in conformance with the relevant Federal policy known as the Common Rule (Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects, 45 CFR 690). All projects involving human subjects must either (1) have approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) before issuance of an iDigBio award; or (2) must affirm that the IRB has declared the research exempt from IRB review, in accordance with the applicable subsection, as established in 45 CFR § 690.104(d) of the Common Rule. Interns are required to comply with this policy and adhere to the organization’s protocol for managing research involving human subjects.

Research Involving Vertebrate Animals

Any project proposing use of vertebrate animals for research or education shall comply with the Animal Welfare Act [7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.] and the regulations promulgated thereunder by the Secretary of agriculture [9 CRF 1.1-4.11] pertaining to the humane care, handling, and treatment of vertebrate animals held or used for research, teaching, or other activities supported by Federal awards. In accordance with these requirements, proposed projects involving use of any vertebrate animal for research or education must be approved by the submitting organization’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) before an award can be made. For this approval to be accepted by iDigBio, the organization must have a current Public Health Service (PHS) Approved Assurance.

Projects involving the care or use of vertebrate animals at an international organization or international field site also require approval of research protocols by the US grantee’s IACUC. If the project is to be funded through an award to an international organization or through an individual internship award that will support activities at an international organization, iDigBio will require a statement from the international organization explicitly listing the proposer’s name and referencing the title of the award to confirm that the activities will be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws in the international country and that the International Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research Involving Animals will be followed.

Legal Rights to Intellectual Property

iDigBio claims no rights to any inventions or writings that might result from its internship grants. However, interns should be aware that iDigBio, NSF, another Federal agency, or some private party may acquire such rights through other support for particular research. Also, interns should note their obligation to include an Acknowledgement and Disclaimer in any publication.

Reporting Requirements

Acknowledgment of Support and Disclaimer

All publications, presentations, and creative works based on activities conducted during the Internship must acknowledge iDigBio-Summer Internship Program support and provide a disclaimer by including the following statement in the Acknowledgements or other appropriate section:

“This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation iDigBio-Summer Internship Program under Grant No. DBI-1547229. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.”

Annual Activities Report

Interns and mentors are required to submit an Annual Activities Report by March 1st of the year AFTER the award. The Report will be sent directly from iDigBio.

Program Evaluation

iDigBio conducts evaluations to provide evidence on the impact of the iDB-SIP on individuals’ educational decisions, career preparations, aspirations and progress, as well as professional productivity; and provide an understanding of the program policies in achieving the program goals. Additionally, it is highly desirable to have a structured means of tracking Interns beyond graduation to gauge the extent to which they choose a career path consistent with the intent of the program and to assess the impact of the iDB-SIP has had on their intern education experience. Accordingly, Intern recipients may be contacted for updates on various aspects of their educational careers, professional activities and accomplishments, participation in international research collaborations, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program. Interns and their mentors agree to cooperate in program-level evaluations conducted by iDigBio and/or contracted evaluators. Participants in the iDB-SIP evaluations will not receive any compensation for participating in any part of the evaluation process. Refusal to participate in this study will have NO EFFECT ON ANY FUTURE SERVICES you may be entitled to from the University. You are FREE TO WITHDRAW FROM THE STUDY AT ANY TIME WITHOUT PENALTY.

If you have any questions at any time during the study, you may contact Jeanette Pirlo at jpirlo@flmnh.ufl.edu or the research supervisor, Gil Nelson at gnelson@floridamuseum.ufl.edu. Questions about your rights as a research participant should be directed to the University of Florida’s Institutional Review Board at (352) 392-0433 or irb2@ufl.edu.