Natural Science Collections Alliance
Our members are part of an international community of museums, botanical gardens, herbariums, universities and other institutions that house natural science collections and utilize them in research, exhibitions, academic and informal science education, and outreach activities.
The Natural Science Collections Alliance has submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on its reorganization plan, outlined in the 24 July 2025 Secretary Memorandum (SM 1078-015). The plan calls for closing the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center—home to the U. S. National Fungus Collection and the USDA Nematode Collection. The […]
The Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)—an alliance of more than 140 professional organizations, scientific societies, universities, and businesses that advocate for the National Science Foundation (NSF)—has called on congressional appropriators to fund NSF at the highest possible level in fiscal year (FY) 2026. NSC Alliance is a member of CNSF. The letter reads in […]
On May 6, 2025, iDigBio hosted a webinar in collaboration with staff and students from Duke University titled “From Specimens to Stories: Defending Herbaria and Reconnecting Science with Society.” During the webinar, attendees were invited to share insights about the current state of their collections and offer ideas for how a potential Collections Task Force […]
NSC Alliance has joined the Entomological Society of America and 18 other scientific societies in submitting a joint response to the White House Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposed rule-making, “Improving Performance, Accountability and Responsiveness in the Civil Service,” also commonly known as “Schedule F.” The proposed rule would reclassify tens of thousands of federal […]
NSC Alliance has signed on to a letter urging greater transparency and oversight regarding potential Reduction-in-Force (RIF) and reorganization plans for federal agencies critical to our nation’s scientific enterprise and public health infrastructure. The letter reads, in part: “We request the immediate public release of these plans and robust public and expert consultation before any […]
The Natural Science Collections Alliance has submitted testimony to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, requesting Congress to provide the National Science Foundation with at least $9.9 billion in FY 2026. The testimony highlights the importance and role of natural history collections in improving public health, agricultural productivity, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and American […]
NSC Alliance has joined the Ecological Society of America and 70 other scientific societies in sending a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum expressing full support for the Ecosystems Mission Area within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Initial drafts of the federal budget proposal suggest that the Administration is planning to discontinue or defund the […]
The Natural Science Collections Alliance has provided testimony to the House Appropriations Committees regarding fiscal year (FY) 2026 funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). “The IMLS is the primary federal agency that supports public education programs at museums and an important source of funding for preserving scientific collections,” the testimony reads. […]
The NSC Alliance has submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Committee regarding fiscal year (FY) 2026 funding for programs that curate natural history collections within the Department of the Interior and Smithsonian Institution. “Scientific collections are critical research infrastructure that help support the nation’s bioeconomy,” argued NSC Alliance. “Research specimens connect us to the past, […]
On March 14, President Trump issued an Executive Order intended to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an agency that plays a crucial role in supporting museums and libraries nationwide. Then on March 31, the entire IMLS staff was placed on administrative leave, raising concerns about the agency’s ability to fulfill its legal obligations to […]