The Natural Science Collections Alliance has submitted testimony to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, requesting Congress to reject the proposed cuts to the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the President’s budget request and instead allocate at least $9.9 billion for the agency in FY 2027. The testimony highlights the importance and role of natural history collections in improving public health, strengthening agricultural productivity, managing natural resources, conserving biodiversity, and advancing American innovation and economic growth.
“NSF plays a unique role in protecting, enhancing, and expanding access to the nation’s scientific collections,” reads the testimony. “The agency supports both research that relies on existing collections and field-based studies that generate new natural history specimens. Through its Directorates for Biological Sciences, Geosciences, and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, NSF also supports student training and workforce development opportunities tied to natural history collections. In addition, NSF invests in scientific collections as critical research infrastructure, alongside living stock collections and field stations. These investments extend beyond the research enterprise, as efforts to enhance these resources benefit US-based companies that manufacture the world’s best and most innovative scientific and museum equipment, creating skilled jobs and supporting local economies nationwide.”
NSF received an 8% budget cut in FY 2024 and a 3.4% cut in FY 2026, resulting in funding levels well below the bipartisan vision outlined in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. “That landmark legislation recognized the importance of biological collections, called for a national collections action center, and authorized NSF funding to grow to $18.9 billion in FY 2027,” NSC Alliance noted. The testimony calls on Congress to provide “at least $9.9 billion for NSF in FY 2027—bringing the agency back to its FY 2023 funding level and reaffirming America’s commitment to scientific excellence.”
Read the testimony submitted to the House. An identical version was submitted to the Senate.