The President of the National Science Collections Alliance sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Appropriations asking the lawmakers to reject the proposed termination of the Biological Survey Unit and restore other on-going research initiatives at the U. S. Geological Survey. Read the letter here.
2017Â Year in Review
In 2017, the NSC Alliance engaged in a number of notable activities to raise the profile of natural history collections with policymakers, researchers, and the general public. A few highlights are presented below: Helped secure a 3 percent funding increase for the Smithsonian Institution in fiscal year 2017 and prevented large cuts to the budgets […]
BCoN Requests Community Input
The natural history collections community is invited to provide input on a draft report about community progress toward the goals and objectives outlined in the Strategic and Implementation Plans for NIBA. The report is the outcome of a two-day stakeholder workshop held in Washington, DC in January 2017 by the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN). Since […]
Joint Letter from NSC Alliance and SPNHC
The presidents of the Natural Science Collections Alliance and the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections sent a joint letter to the director of Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi in Brazil. The museum is facing large budget cuts. An excerpt of the letter follows. “The international links between institutions are strong and increasingly important […]
Biology Community to Congress: Reject Budget, Fund Science
A letter to Congress calls for lawmakers to reject the deep cuts to research and science education proposed in President Trump’s fiscal year 2018 budget request. “The budget cuts outlined by the Administration for 2018 would set back American innovation for years. Funding rates for programs that support foundational biological research are already extremely low, […]
NSC Alliance Weighs in on Federal Funding for Collections
The NSC Alliance provided testimony to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees regarding funding for certain programs that curate natural history collections. The testimony addressed programs within the Department of the Interior and Smithsonian Institution. “Scientific collections are critical infrastructure for our nation’s research enterprise. Research specimens connect us to the past, are used to […]
NSC Alliance Members Invited to Interact With Lawmakers This Summer
The Natural Science Collections Alliance is pleased to announce that Alliance members are eligible to participate in the 2017 Biological Sciences Congressional District Visits event. This national initiative is an opportunity for scientists across the country to meet with their federal or state elected officials to showcase the people, facilities, and equipment that are required […]
Action Alert: Speak Up for Museum Funding
Call your Senators and ask them to sign the dear colleague letter in support of funding for the Office of Museum Services within the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The letter is being circulated by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). The deadline for Senators to sign the letter is 17 May. Find your Senators […]
NSC Alliance Board of Directors to Meet in Denver, Prior to Director’s Summit
The NSC Alliance Board of Directors will meet on 18 June 2017 in Denver, Colorado. The board meeting precedes a one-day Director’s Summit meeting co-organized by NSC Alliance. More information about the Summit meeting is available here. The Summit meeting also precedes the annual meeting of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections. […]
NSC Alliance Urges Congress to Invest in NSF
In testimony to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the NSC Alliance highlighted the important role that natural history collections play. “Natural science collections play an integral role in advancing research that improves public health, agriculture, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and American innovation,” states the testimony. “Current research involving natural science collections is also […]