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.
On 1 March 2013, federal budget cuts that — according to the White House and members of Congress — were not meant to happen, began. Sequestration — $85 billion in across-the-board budget cuts to nearly all federal agencies — was meant as a threat to force congressional action to reduce the federal budget deficit. For […]
A new report calls for the creation of a Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance to increase research productivity, solve societal problems, and drive innovation. The report was the outcome of a workshop of experts that was convened last fall to outline the steps needed to build a Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance (NIBA) in the next ten […]
Dr. Subra Suresh, the director of the National Science Foundation, announced on 5 February 2013 that he will leave the agency at the end of March. Dr. Suresh has accepted an appointment as the ninth president of Carnegie Mellon University. “It has been my extraordinary honor to lead the National Science Foundation, which is blessed […]
Nearly one hundred new lawmakers were elected in November. Let them — and their returning colleagues — know the value of federal investments in science. Please take a minute to send a letter to your members of Congress about the importance of biological research and education. Take action at http://capwiz.com/aibs/issues/alert/?alertid=62388191.
iDigBio, the National Science Foundation’s national HUB for Advancing Digitization of Biological Collections (ADBC), is pleased to announce the third in a series of preparation-specific workshops focusing on organizing, launching, maintaining, and/or enhancing a biological collections digitization program.  This new workshop will focus on digitization of dried insect collections (pinned or packaged), to include specimen […]
The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections have released the preliminary details for their 2013 and 2014 annual meetings. The 28th annual meeting will be held on 17-22 June 2013 in Rapid City South Dakota. The 29th annual meeting will be held on 22-28 June 2014 in Cardiff, Wales. The theme is “historic […]
Scientists and graduate students who are interested in communicating the importance of federal investments in scientific research and education to lawmakers are encouraged to participate in an important upcoming event. Each year, the Biological and Ecological Sciences Coalition (BESC) hosts a Congressional Visits Day in Washington, DC. This event is an opportunity for scientists to […]
Delegates from dozens of countries met in late January to create the administrative structure for a new international initiative to provide the science necessary to inform policies on conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. During the first plenary of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel was selected. This […]
In 2012, 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: Conducted a Congressional briefing on digitization of natural science collections. The event was well attended by policymakers from Capitol Hill, federal agencies, […]
The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois will cut $3 million from its budget for science. An additional $2 million in reductions will be sought from other programs. The spending reductions were prompted by the recession and institution’s debt. Richard Lariviere, the museum’s president, announced the cost cutting plans this week. Staff layoffs […]