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 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) has selected Doug Jones, Director of the Florida Museum of Natural History and NSC Alliance Board member, as this year’s recipient of its award for distinguished service to museums. The award is considered to be the “most prestigious in the museum profession” and recognizes individuals who have made significant […]
The NSC Alliance has submitted testimony to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees regarding fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding for programs that curate natural history collections within the Department of the Interior and Smithsonian Institution. “Scientific collections, and the collections professionals and scientists who make, care for, and study these resources, are a vital component […]
The Natural Science Collections Alliance has submitted testimony to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, requesting Congress to provide the National Science Foundation with at least $11.9 billion in FY 2025. The testimony highlights the importance and role of natural history collections in improving public health, agricultural productivity, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and American […]
The Natural Science Collections Alliance has provided testimony to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees regarding fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). “The IMLS is the primary federal agency that supports public education programs at museums and an important source of funding for preserving scientific collections. Investments […]
Several members of the Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA) Board of Directors, led by Barbara Thiers, Director Emerita at the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium of The New York Botanical Garden, have authored a Viewpoint article for BioScience calling for “continued enhancement, not dissolution” of the Duke Herbarium. The article reads, in part: “We urge […]
The Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF)—an alliance of more than 140 professional organizations, scientific societies, universities, and businesses that advocate for the National Science Foundation (NSF)—has called on House and Senate appropriators to provide at least $11.9 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in fiscal year (FY) 2025. Then House and Senate letters […]
In 2020, an ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released its report, Biological Collections: Ensuring Critical Research and Education for the 21st Century. Recommendation 8-1 of the report called for the establishment of a national Action Center for Biological Collections, which was codified into law by the U.S. Congress […]
On February 16, 2024, the Natural Science Collections (NSC) Alliance sent a letter to Duke University leadership in response to reports about the closure of their herbarium due to a change in funding priorities. The letter strongly urged Duke leadership to reconsider the decision to dismantle the herbarium. “Duke’s proposed divestment of its herbarium is […]
NSC Alliance has joined more than 1000 organizations in a letter urging Congress to reject any full-year continuing resolution that would result in cuts to non-defense discretionary spending, the funding source for most scientific research programs. “Such cuts would be disastrous for the capacity of the federal government to serve the public, assist those in […]
As the year wraps up and we head into the holiday season, we invite you to take a look at the NSC Alliance’s accomplishments in 2023. We engaged in a number of efforts to elevate the profile of natural history collections with policymakers, researchers, and the general public. A few highlights are presented below: Read […]