On May 28, 2021, President Joe Biden released his much awaited budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2022, calling for major investments in the nation’s infrastructure and social safety net programs. The budget framework also proposes large budget increases for several federal science agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health […]
NSC Alliance Joins Societies in Offering Recommendations on NSF Legislation
The Natural Science Collections Alliance has joined a group of scientific societies in providing recommendations to lawmakers on legislation pertaining to the National Science Foundation (NSF) that assures the federal government is making the investments necessary to strengthen America’s economic competitiveness, ensure our national security, and allow us to tackle the significant challenges that lie […]
NSC Alliance Members: Help Inform Science Policy This Summer
The Natural Science Collections Alliance is pleased to announce that your organization, as an Alliance member, is eligible to participate in the 2021 Biological Sciences Congressional District Visits event. This national initiative, organized by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), and co-sponsored by NSC Alliance, is an opportunity for scientists from across the country […]
Collections in the News
A study published in Ecological Applications examined a century of museum specimens to reveal increasing microplastic concentrations in freshwater fish. Researchers examined the guts of freshwater fish preserved in collections housed at the Field Museum, the Illinois Natural History Survey, and the University of Tennessee. They found that fish have been swallowing microplastics since the […]
NSC Alliance Supports Diversification of Federal Science Advisory Committees
NSC Alliance has joined a group of scientific, professional, and academic organizations in sending a letter to 24 federal science agencies and departments in support of diversifying the science advisory committees that support policy decisions across the government. The groups argue, in part: “Lack of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in the federal government is […]
NSC Alliance Provides Comments on Draft Arctic Research Plan
NSC Alliance has provided comments to the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee, chaired by the National Science Foundation (NSF), on its Draft Arctic Research Plan. The comments highlight the critical role of biorepositories and collections in Arctic research. “We believe that the role of biorepositories should be emphasized in multiple parts of the plan, but […]
NSC Alliance Endorses House Bill to Double NSF Funding
The Natural Science Collections Alliance has endorsed bipartisan legislation introduced by House Science Committee leadership to expand the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) mission and budget. The National Science Foundation for the Future Act (H.R. 2225) proposes doubling NSF’s budget to $18.5 billion over five years and creating a new Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions (SES) that […]
NSC Alliance Provides Testimony in Support of FY 2022 Funding for NSF
The Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSC Alliance) has submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Committee, requesting Congress to provide the National Science Foundation with at least $10.2 billion in FY 2022 and highlighting the importance and role of natural history collections. The testimony reads, in part: “Collections are a critical resource for advancing the knowledge […]
Massive Innovation Bill to Expand NSF Reintroduced
On April 21, 2021, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a revised version of the Endless Frontier Act (EFA)—a bill that would create a technology-focused directorate within the National Science Foundation (NSF). Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Todd Young (R-IN), Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI) introduced the bill in […]
NSC Alliance Submits Testimony in Support of Federal Funding for Collections
The NSC Alliance has submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Committee regarding fiscal year (FY) 2022 funding for certain programs that curate natural history collections within the Department of the Interior and Smithsonian Institution. “Preservation of specimens and the strategic growth of these collections are in the best interest of science and the best interest […]