Freelance research/ documentation support – Palaeontology

Ipswich Museum Redevelopment Project
Background to project
Ipswich Museum was opened in 1881 and is currently in the development phase of a £9.1m National Lottery Heritage fund grant to re-develop the Museum. Purpose built, expressly for the education of the working classes in natural history its founders were at the cutting edge of scientific debate and generations of benefactors filled the Museum with outstanding collections of natural history, archaeology, geology and ethnography for wonderment, learning and scientific advancement. The redevelopment project will refurbish the Victorian building, and the new displays and activity programmes will take the Museum back to its Victorian roots, celebrating their innovation and imagination, whilst challenging their world view and creating new conversations with our audiences.

Palaeontology collections
The collection of Suffolk geology provides a unique resource for studying the geological history of Suffolk and wider East Anglia. Of particular note, the palaeontology collection contains internationally significant material based upon the Plio-Pleistocene (the last 3 million years) of the East Anglian region. The material contains critically important specimens for understanding the evolution of the British fauna during this period, and could also potentially provide unique insights into understanding global climate change within the last few million years.

The palaeontology collection has been built up over 150 years and includes 2 particularly notable components: invertebrate and vertebrate fossils from the marine Crag deposits of East Anglia and also material from periglacial and interglacial deposits from the region. Since its foundation, the Museum has been associated closely with the principal scientists responsible for the description of the Red Crag and Coralline Crag fauna. Important collections of Crag fossils include those of Alfred Bell, Henry Canham, C G Doughty, C Morley, and R A D Markham. The periglacial and glacial material contains Pleistocene faunal remains, and sediment samples, from type sites for the stages of this period: East Anglia being the key area in Britain for the study of the Pleistocene. Many specimens are from these type localities including: Bobbits Hole (Ipswichian), Easton Bavents (Baventian) and Hoxne (Hoxnian). The collection also includes material from the Stoke railway tunnel (Stoke Bone Beds), which produced much important quality material in 1846.
Other palaeontology collections of note include the R M Brydone Collection of Cretaceous chalk fossils including a large number of sea urchins. Non-local specimens include a complete ichthyosaur from Somerset, and fossils from Sewalik Hills, India.

The collection includes at least 100 type and figured specimens, representing historical monographs through to contemporary studies on the collection. The collection is actively used by a range of researchers, from universities to local societies. The work of the Documentation Assistant will be key to helping us enhance the quality of documentation of key specimens, including those which are type and figured, which will ultimately help us to make them more accessible to the public and wider academic communities.

To inform the new interpretation and future use of the collections, and in preparation for ‘decanting’ collections from the Museum during redevelopment, we wish to ensure our important Palaeontology collections are more fully researched and documented.

Main purpose of role
We are seeking a methodical, highly organised team player with good attention to detail, and with excellent documentation skills to assist with the documentation of the palaeontology collections at Ipswich Museums. A significant part of the role will involve remote working, involving improving the quality of digital documentation records, checking their validity, consistency and completeness, as well as creating new, accurate specimen records. This will also involve a significant amount of literature research in order to trace and document relevant publications (e.g. academic journals) to enhance documentation records, particularly of type and figured specimens. The project will work towards completing a large spreadsheet of palaeontology specimens in the correct format for import into the Museum’s collection management system (Axiell).

Main purpose of role
1. In discussion with Collections and Learning Curator (Natural Sciences), agree priority collection areas to be worked on, and working methods.
2. Working both remotely and in the Museum, compile information about museum specimens to enable it to be imported onto the Museum’s Axiell database
3. Research specimens and reconcile information from a range of museum and external sources (e.g. academic journals) to enhance documentation records
4. Mark, label and re-box specimens, where appropriate to make them more accessible

Requirement of role
Knowledge / experience of British Palaeontology, palaeontology collections and research and of museum documentation standards/ procedures.
Fee for the work
£4000
The fee is expected to cover all project preparation, planning and delivery time. We would expect this to equate to approximately 2 months (45 days) full-time work.
Timescales
This work will need to be completed between April and July 2021

Management of commission
The commission will be managed by the Heritage Project Manager and the Senior Collections & Learning Officer. There will be a commissioning meeting and regular communication throughout the project. The consultant will report directly to the Heritage Project Manager
Management of commission / evaluation criteria

Your proposal must include:
• approach to the project, including short methodology statement on no more than 2 sides of A4. This should demonstrate an understanding of technical requirements (Evaluated 60%)
• relevant sections of CVs of any/all proposed team members (Evaluated 10%)
• two client references
• projected timescale. (Evaluated 10%)
• a fixed fee showing your daily rates between individuals, number of days spent on each task and including all fees and expenses (Evaluated 20%)

Date of submission and timescale
• The closing date for submissions is 12:00 noon Wednesday 7th April
via email to James.Mellish@ipswich.gov.uk
• All tender clarification must be issued to James.Mellish@ipswich.gov.uk
Terms and Conditions

We will require evidence of the following insurance covers:
Employer’s (Compulsory) Liability Insurance = £5 million
Public Liability Insurance = £1 million
Professional Indemnity Insurance = £1 million
Product Liability Insurance = £1 million