Access for scientists with prior notice to the curator.
Loans are made to recognized scientific institutions or individual researchers.
The loan request should be made by a formal letter to the curator responsible.
The loan request should contain the name of the researcher and the thematic scope of the research project. It should be signed by the curator of the requesting institution or department. Use of specimens in projects of a commercial nature requires separate agreement.
Details of type material loan require preliminary agreement these should be fixed in loan invoice.
Should the planned research include destructive methods (including DNA extraction), special permission by curatorial staff is necessary. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The receiving institution is expected to accept responsibility for proper handling (e.g protection of specimen from insect and other damage) and the safe return of the specimens. Loan material must not be removed from the institution to which they are on loan.
Loans are normally granted for 3 months up to 2 year. Extension or deposition may be granted.
The use of loan material should be properly documented. Annotation labels, written legibly in permanent ink or typed and preferably of small size, must be attached to each collection/specimen returned. Such labels should give the name of the researcher, the date/period of the investigation, the institution where the research was conducted, and the determination status (det., rev., conf., vid.) or scope of research (e.g., molecular phylogenetic study of …). Information about the removal of fragments is mandatory (for SEM or light microscopy, for DNA extraction etc).
If the loan material served as a basis for description of new species (sp.nov.) holotype and and half of the paratypes must be returned.
The lending institution must be acknowledged appropriately in any publications or other materials that present results derived from use of the loaned specimens.
A paper or digital copy of any publications resulting from study of loan material would be appreciated.