Two years ago as the economy was entering recession, the Natural Science Collections Alliance launched a survey to gather data on the effects of the economic downturn on natural science collections. To further increase our understanding of how natural science collections are being impacted by and responding to current economic conditions, the NSC Alliance is repeating the 2008 survey. All natural science collections, including natural history museums, herbaria, living collections, tissue and genetic collections, etc, are encouraged to complete this short, online survey. The survey should not take more than 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Individual institutional responses will remain confidential.
Additional information about the 2008 NSC Alliance survey, including a link to a publication containing the results, is available at http://nscalliance.org/?p=234.
If you have questions or require additional information, please contact Dr. Robert Gropp at rgropp@aibs.org.
On August 2, 2010, NSC Alliance submitted comments on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) draft Next Generation Strategic Plan. The comments identify the importance of NOAA’s scientific collections to the agency’s mission and call for the strategic plan to “address the curation of, and access to, the 40 scientific collections held by the agency.”
As currently drafted, the strategic plan does not address scientific collections. For more information on NOAA’s draft strategic plan, visit http://www.ppi.noaa.gov/ngsp.html.
Several Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSC Alliance) members and other organizations have sent letters of support for a Presidential Executive Order to promote the preservation and use of scientific collections. The American Institute of Biological Sciences, the American Museum of Natural History, the American Public Gardens Association, the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, the American Society of Mammalogists, the California Academy of Sciences, the Ecological Society of America, the Florida Museum of Natural History, the Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology, the Herpetologists’ League, the Ornithological Council, the San Diego Natural History Museum, the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, the Society of Systematic Biologists, the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, and The Wildlife Society have written to Dr. John Holdren, Science Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, regarding NSC Alliance’s request for an Executive Order on science collections.
The letters support the proposed Executive Order sent by NSC Alliance President William Y. Brown to Dr. Holdren on June 24, 2009. The Order would direct Federal agencies whose actions may affect collections to identify those actions and, as feasible, cooperate with stakeholders to enhance and preserve the collections and to advance access to and use of them by stakeholders. The Order would also establish federal advisory bodies to develop a National Science Collections Plan.
The campaign for a Presidential Executive Order is an outgrowth of a 2009 report issued by the Interagency Working Group on Scientific Collections, which found that “scientific collections are essential to supporting agency missions and are thus vital to supporting the global research enterprise.” The National Science Foundation . Despite the value of science collections, some collections are facing challenges ranging from a lack of qualified curators to limitations in improving accessibility to researchers. The current economic climate also demonstrates a need for a strategic and coordinated national policy structure to preserve and advance the research and education missions of our nation’s natural science collections.
For more information about the Executive Order, including the proposed order and NSC Alliance correspondence, please visit http://nscalliance.org/?p=139. For additional information, please contact Dr. Robert Gropp at (202) 628-1500 x 250.
To read the letters sent by NSC Alliance members, click here:
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is seeking public input to revise and refresh the federal government’s ocean research priorities plan. Released in January 2007, “Charting the Course” was developed by federal agencies and outside stakeholders to identify and prioritize ocean science and technology endeavors over the next decade. NSC Alliance submitted comments on the draft 2007 report to stress the important role that natural science collection facilities, including those affiliated with marine laboratories and field stations, will play in advancing ocean research. The plan is now being revised to reflect recent scientific advancements and new ocean management challenges. Comments are due by July 17, 2009. For more information, visit http://www.aibs.org/federal-register-resource/2009_06_24.html#010728. To read the comments submitted in 2006 by NSC Alliance, go to http://nscalliance.org/?m=200610.
NSCA would like to thank all those who took the time to fill out the collections and economy survey. The survey is now closed. A report outlining survey results is forthcoming and will be posted to the NSCA website.Continue Reading »
On 13 June 2008, eight scientific societies wrote to Louisiana Governor Jindal uring him to oppose passage of SB 733, the so-called ‘Louisiana Science Education Act.’ Please click here to read the letter.
The Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSC Alliance) encourages the Committee to provide the National Science Foundation (NSF) with $7.326 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2009, the funding level authorized by the America COMPETES Act. Continue Reading »
The Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSC Alliance) encourages Congress to
provide the United States Geological Survey (USGS) with at least $1.3 billion for fiscal
year (FY) 2009. From this amount, we encourage you to provide at least $230 million for
the programs and functions of the Biological Resources Discipline (BRD). Continue Reading »
