Biodiversity Collections Network
The National Science Foundation has supported efforts by the biological collections community to make biocollections and their associated data more accessible. A series of workshops of biocollection experts has resulted in a community-wide initiative to develop a Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN). BCoN is envisioned as a coordinated, large-scale effort to digitize the nation’s biological collections. The effort will require new initiatives that will support advanced engineering of biocollections cyberinfrastructure, enhanced training for collections staff, and infusing specimen-based learning into education, among other recommendations.
NIBA Strategic Plan: http://digbiocol.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/niba_brochure.pdf
NIBA Implementation Plan: http://www.aibs.org/public-policy/NIBA_Implementation_Plan.pdf
NSC Alliance Briefings on Digitizing Scientific Collections
In recent years, NSC Alliance has held two briefings for Congress, federal agency personnel, and nongovernmental organization representatives about the importance of the nation’s natural science collections. The briefings explored how scientists and natural science collections managers are using new technology to digitize the nation’s natural science collections in an effort to increase access to these irreplaceable resources for research, education, and to inform our understanding and response to complex environmental problems.
View the presentations from the 2015 briefing.
Learn more about the 2012 event.
Interagency Working Group on Scientific Collections
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) recognized the value of scientific collections by commissioning the Interagency Working Group on Scientific Collections (IWGSC). In a report released in December 2008, the IWGSC acknowledged the diversity of the hundreds of scientific collections owned and maintained by federal agencies. The working group found that “these scientific collections are essential to supporting agency missions and are thus vital to supporting the global research enterprise.”
Scientific Collections: Mission-Critical Infrastructure for Federal Science Agencies
National Science Foundation Survey of Scientific Collections
The National Science Foundation (NSF) conducted a survey of the status of 611 scientific collections whose home institutions received funding from NSF since 1985. The survey, which was conducted in conjunction with the efforts of the Interagency Working Group on Scientific Collections, highlights the challenges facing biological, mineral, cell/tissue, and social science collections.
The report can be downloaded at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09044/nsf09044.pdf?govDel=USNSF_80.
Museum and Collections Funding Agencies
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created to promote the progress of science.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.
U.S. and International Collections Partnerships
The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation’s biological resources. The NBII links diverse, high-quality biological databases, information products, and analytical tools maintained by NBII partners and other contributors in government agencies, academic institutions, non-government organizations, and private industry.
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is an international government-initiated and funded initiative focused on making biodiversity data available to all and anyone, for scientific research, conservation and sustainable development.
The Global Registry of Biodiversity Repositories is the first-ever consolidated, comprehensive clearinghouse of information about biological collections in natural history museums, herbaria, and other biorepositories.