Research Requests

The museum strives to maintain a strong reputation as a trusted repository for scientific research materials. To achieve this, all research requests involving collection materials must follow our standardized review and approval process. Sample requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, considering the quantity and value of the material, scientific merit of the proposed research, and the museum’s staff capacity. Sample preparation, handling, and insurance fees may apply. 

If approved, the researcher(s) must sign a loan agreement that includes the following conditions:

• Return of material: Material must be returned within one year, unless otherwise authorized. Extensions may be granted if requested before the loan period expires. 
• Use of material: Material must be used solely for the approved study, and information gained from their research should be disseminated to benefit the scientific community. Destructive analyses must be clearly identified and approved in advance. If results from initial investigations indicate additional analyses are desirable, the researcher(s) must submit a new loan request in that regard.
• Acknowledgement: The researcher(s) must reference the museum catalog number and acknowledge the museum in all resulting publications.
• Publication sharing: The researcher(s) must provide the museum with a copy of any publication resulting from research. (Signed original hard copies are appreciated)
• Co-authorship: In cases where analytical or research work and/or text written by museum personnel is extensively incorporated into publications, those workers should be offered co-authorship on said publication.