Guidelines
for Specimen Loan
and Requesting Tissue Sample
(Based on Rule No. 4 of RCBAS Museum Management Guidelines)
I.
Guidelines for Specimen
Loan
1.
Specimen loan will be considered only
from request by scientific researchers with institute
affiliation.
2.
RCBAS research fellow and staff have
access and can request specimen loan by submitting
“Application Form for Specimen Loan” (Appendix 4).
3.
Researchers not associated with RCBAS
can request loan by sending official letter addressed to
RCBAS Curators or Collection Managers in their disciplines.
Upon approval, specimen and loan invoice (Appendix 5) will
be sent to the borrower. Upon examining the loan, borrower
is responsible to return the signed loan invoice back to
RCBAS in timely fashion.
4.
Loan request is reviewed by museum
Associate and approved by the Director of the museum.
5.
Permission for specimen dissection or
invasive physical/chemical treatment to loan specimen for
necessary research procedure has to be applied in writing,
including justification and detail of treatment, prior to
museum Associate review the loan request.
6.
The number of specimen loaned for
individual taxon should not exceed more than half of the
number available for that taxon in the RCBAS holding.
7.
Maximum loan period is six months
without extension. Borrowers are required to reapply for the
same loan after returning the loan to RCBAS for at least one
week. Conflict results from requesting identical specimens
the priority will go to new borrowers.
8.
Tags and labels on RCBAS museum
specimens should not be removed or altered under any
circumstances.
9.
Borrowers should notify RCBAS museum
Associate for error or suspected information associated with
specimens for further amendment.
10.
Transfer of loan specimens to third
party without prior arrangement with RCBAS is prohibited.
11.
Borrowers with over-due loan record
may result in rejection of any further loan request.
12.
Authors are encouraged to cite RCBAS
specimen number (ASIZ #) in their research paper. Authors
are also required to provide one copy of their published
work to RCBAS museum.
II.
Guidelines for Requesting Tissue Sample
1.
Borrower should submit “Application
Form for Usage of Tissue Sample” (Appendix 6) and a brief research proposal to museum associate for renew and approve by curators or collectors of those samples. The research proposal should include the justification for using intended tissue specimen, techniques to be used, and evidence to illustrate the applicability of such techniques in borrower’s
laboratory. ( For point of view, please refer to "Rules for Requesting Genetic Material for Taiwan Wildlife Cryobanking and Barcode of Life Project").
2.
RCBAS museum will ship tissue sample
in alcohol under ambient temperature. The recipient
institution is responsible for any expenses pertain to
special shipping and handling.
3.
The borrower of tissue samples must
agree that the tissue sample and all products resulted from
its usage will not be used for claiming intellectual
property rights, for patent application, for commercial
profit and any other purpose besides those listed in the
original application form and research proposal.
4.
For foreign researchers, the request
for borrowing tissue sample of endemic species from Taiwan
has to be submitted together with local collaborating
researcher. Additional regulations and permits required by
foreign borrower’ government and CITES should be followed
and obtained prior the loan is issued.
5.
Borrowers should notify RCBAS museum
Associate for error or suspected information associated with
specimens for further amendment.
6.
Loan of tissue sample will be
considered only for researchers affiliated with reputable
institutes.
7.
DNA sequences resulting from loaned
tissues of RCBAS museum should be published with specimen
number assigned by RCBAS museum and acknowledged the source
of tissue. The borrower is obligate to provide DNA sequence
or access number and 2 copies of any publication resulted
from RCBAS tissue specimen.