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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the crucial role played by biodiversity collections in enabling rapid responses to crises and in facilitating ongoing research across numerous fields. Despite the recognized value of this infrastructure, the community nevertheless has further opportunities to maximize its value to the scientific enterprise. A new Viewpoint article in […]
A coalition of more than 200 scientific and academic stakeholder groups, including NSC Alliance, have asked President Biden to champion the Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act (H.R.869, S.289) and support full funding for the initiatives the legislation would create. The widespread, detrimental impact of COVID-19 on research and researchers, particularly those from underrepresented […]
Committees in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate with jurisdiction over science have announced the leadership for their subcommittees. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced the new structure and leadership of its subcommittees last month. Freshman Senator John […]
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or CITES is an international treaty aimed at ensuring that international trade in listed animal and plant species does not threaten their survival. Currently there are 183 Parties to CITES, 182 countries, including the United States, and one regional economic integration organization, […]
On March 1, 2021, NSC Alliance joined forces with the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) and Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) in highlighting to lawmakers the value of mobilizing biodiversity specimens and data in spurring new scientific discoveries. In the letter to House Science Committee Leadership, the groups bring attention […]
Lawmakers are now working to pass a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 pandemic relief package the blueprint for which was adopted by both chambers of Congress on February 5, 2021 in the form of a budget resolution. A budget resolution does not require the President’s signature and serves as a guide to the House and Senate on […]