The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSPT) has issued a request for information to help improve the effectiveness of federal scientific integrity policies. Specifically, the OSTP seeks stakeholder input on the effectiveness of current federal scientific integrity policies and needed areas of improvement, practices agencies could adopt to improve scientific integrity, and […]
IMLS Requests Input on Strategic Plan
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is soliciting stakeholder feedback on how it can carry out its statutory responsibility to ensure the availability of museum, library, and information services adequate to meet the essential information, education, research, economic, cultural, and civic needs of the people of the United States. IMLS is developing a five-year […]
Collections in the News
A new article published in PLoS Pathogens argues for leveraging natural history biorepositories for the proactive detection and mitigation of emerging infectious diseases. Natural history museum biorepositories form the backbone of a critically needed, decentralized, global network for zoonotic pathogen surveillance, yet this infrastructure remains marginally developed, underutilized, underfunded, and disconnected from public health initiatives, […]
2nd BCoN COVID-19 Survey: Operational Status, Economic Impacts and Plans for Reopening
In April, the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) conducted a survey of the natural history collections/museum community to understand how COVID-19 related economic disruptions are affecting the work of professionals associated with such collections. The results were shared with the scientific community, including federal program managers and policymakers, in May 2020. This second survey follows up […]
NSC Alliance Members Invited to Submit Nominations for NAGRPA Review Committee
The National Park Service is soliciting nominations for two members of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation (NAGPRA) Review Committee. The Secretary of the Interior will appoint two members from nominations submitted by national museum organizations or national scientific organizations. The committee was established by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of […]
NSC Alliance Urges University of Alaska Regents Not to Cut Museum of North Funding
On July 29, 2019, the NSC Alliance urged the regents of the University of Alaska to find alternatives to devastating and irrevocable budget cuts to the Museum of the North. The letter from NSC Alliance is below. Please consider contacting the the regents, university officials, and state legislators today to help them understand the importance […]
The Natural Science Collections Alliance Recognized for Museum Advocacy
The Natural Science Collections Alliance was honored to receive a Special Service Award from the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) for its advocacy and lobbying on behalf of museums. The NSC Alliance President Dr. John Bates accepted the award during the annual SPNHC business meeting which was held at The Field […]
BCoN: Consider Endorsing Extended Specimen Report
Last month, members of the NSC Alliance Board of Directors participated in a National Press Club event on April 4, 2019, to celebrate the public release of the Biodiversity Collection Network’s (BCoN) community-informed vision document: Extending U.S. Biodiversity Collections to Promote Research and Education. If you have not yet reviewed the document, we invite you […]
National Science Board Seeking New Members
The National Science Board (NSB) is accepting nominations for the NSB Class of 2020-2026 through May 31, 2019. NSB, the oversight and governance board of the National Science Foundation, is seeking recommendations for new Board Members from leading scientific, engineering, and educational organizations, as well as the public. Information about the process and requirements is […]
New Report from BCoN: Extending U.S. Biodiversity Collections to Promote Research and Education
The Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) has released its new report, Extending U.S. Biodiversity Collections to Promote Research and Education. You are invited to download and share the summary brochure and to review the longer report that provides additional detail about this vision for the future.. An excerpt from the report: “There is an urgent need […]