News & Updates – Page 20 – Natural Science Collections Alliance

Joint Stakeholder Statement on Promoting Sustainable Use and Conservation of Biodiversity Through Open Exchange of Digital Sequence Information

By NSCAPosted on June 25, 2018Posted in Correspondence, News & Updates, Position Statements

The Natural Science Collections Alliance has joined with more than 50 other leading scientific organizations from around the world to express a shared concern with emerging proposals on the regulation of use of digital sequence information. The statement was issued in response to activities pursuant to the decisions at the Conference of the Parties of […]

NSC Alliance Members Invited to Inform Science Policy This Summer

By NSCAPosted on June 20, 2018Posted in Activities & Events, Correspondence, News & Updates

The Natural Science Collections Alliance is pleased to announce that your organization, as an Alliance member, is eligible to participate in the 2018 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 […]

NSC Alliance Provides Testimony in Support of Federal Funding for Science Collections

By NSCAPosted on May 7, 2018Posted in Activities & Events, Correspondence, News & Updates, Position Statements

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 Urges Congress to Support Federal Funding for NSF

By NSCAPosted on April 26, 2018Posted in Activities & Events, Correspondence, News & Updates, Position Statements

The Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSC Alliance) provided testimony to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, highlighting the importance and role of natural history collections. “Natural science collections advance research that improves public health, agriculture, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and American innovation. Current research involving natural science collections also contributes to the development of […]

Congress Approves FY 2018 Omnibus Appropriations, Rejects President’s Cuts to Science

By NSCAPosted on March 23, 2018Posted in News & Updates

Congress has passed and the President has signed a bipartisan appropriations bill with $1.3 trillion in federal spending for fiscal year (FY) 2018. The House voted 256-167 and the Senate voted 65-32 to approve the bill that distributes funding for the remainder of FY 2018. The omnibus appropriations legislation provides either increased or level spending […]

NSC Alliance Requests Senate Appropriators to Restore Biodiversity Research Programs at USGS

By NSCAPosted on March 5, 2018Posted in Correspondence, News & Updates

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.

NSC Alliance Asks USGS to Reverse Decision to Remove Curators from NMNH

By NSCAPosted on February 7, 2018Posted in Activities & Events, News & Updates

On February 7, 2018, the NSC Alliance sent a formal request to the US Geological Survey requesting that the agency reverse a decision to remove 10 USGS scientists from their assigned job functions at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. Read the letter here.

2017Â Year in Review

By NSCAPosted on December 22, 2017Posted in Activities & Events, Correspondence, News & Updates

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 […]

Congress Reaches Deal on Tax Reform

By NSCAPosted on December 14, 2017Posted in News & Updates

On December 13, leaders in Congress announced that they had reached a final deal regarding tax reform legislation. The compromise is reportedly more similar to the bill passed by the Senate than the legislation crafted by the House. Notably, the compromise purportedly retains the existing tax break for charitable deductions. However, since the standard deduction […]

Arctic Public Programming Internships

By NSCAPosted on December 11, 2017Posted in News & Updates

Free this spring or summer? Intern at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and join a team of passionate ocean educators and scientists to design and host public programs that expand the themes of the museum’s Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend temporary exhibit to different audiences including adults, families, and teens. Interns will work […]