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.
NSC Alliance Board member Barbara Thiers, former Director of the herbarium at the New York Botanical Garden, joined NPR’s Science Friday on October 1 for a segment titled “Are Natural History Museums Going Extinct?”. Thiers discussed declining funding, the challenges of maintaining natural history collections, and the high costs of relocating specimens when museums close. […]
The Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSC Alliance) has written to the leadership of Fort Hays State University and the Kansas Board of Regents to express profound concern over reports that the Sternberg Museum of Natural History may close. One of the premier natural history museums of the Great Plains, the Sternberg holds more than three […]
The Natural Science Collections Alliance has submitted comments on the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) draft Guidance on Financial Assistance (GFA), the document that would replace the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG 24-1) and govern how every NSF proposal is prepared, reviewed, and managed. NSC Alliance supported what the redesign sets out to […]
The Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSC Alliance) has submitted formal comments on the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposed rewrite of the Uniform Guidance for federal financial assistance, urging OMB to abandon the rule in its current form and warning that it would burden collections-holding institutions and disrupt the long-term research that natural science […]
The Natural Science Collections Alliance, the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), the Mycological Society of America, the Society of Nematologists, and 13 additional scientific organizations have sent a letter to Congress urging oversight of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) planned relocation of several nationally significant scientific collections. The letter raises concerns about the […]
NSC Alliance joined 323 organizations in urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to extend the public comment period for a proposed rule that would substantially revise federal regulations governing grants and cooperative agreements. “The scope and impact of OMB’s proposed rule is vast,” the letter reads. “The proposed rule amends 91 parts of […]
The Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSC Alliance) expresses profound concern about the future of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University as recently reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer. As the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the United States, the Academy is a globally important natural history collection and center for biodiversity […]
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 […]
The Natural Science Collections Alliance has joined more than 1,300 museums, organizations, and associations in urging congressional leaders to provide robust federal support for museums and museum-related programs in the fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget. In a joint letter led by the American Alliance of Museums to congressional leadership, the coalition emphasized the critical role […]
The NSC Alliance has submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Committee regarding fiscal year (FY) 2027 funding for programs that curate natural history collections within the Department of the Interior and Smithsonian Institution. “Scientific collections are essential infrastructure supporting the nation’s bioeconomy, public health, and environmental resilience,” argued NSC Alliance. “Research specimens connect us to […]