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.
Stay informed about the Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) project by starting a free subscription to its monthly eNewsletter. Subscribers receive information about upcoming workshops on collection digitization, information about digitization protocols, and more. iDigBio is funded by the National Science Foundation and is focused on three key objectives: Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of biodiversity […]
Curators are growing suspicious of specimen requests from a museum in India. According to an article published in Science Insider, natural history repositories all over the world have been plagued by e-mail requests from the Life Science Museum in Jhansi, India, which claim that the director needs assistance replacing specimens lost to unexpected disaster. Andrew […]
This August, the NSC Alliance is sponsoring the 4th Annual Biological Sciences Congressional District Visits event.  This national initiative encourages members of the science community to meet with their elected officials.  Unlike other efforts to educate members of Congress about the importance of scientific research and education programs, this event occurs across the country – […]
A team of scientists is trying to capture 3D images of every species of ant in the world. They are using a new technique that allows the tiny anatomy of ants to be photographed. The images will be posted online for use by other researchers, students, and the public. So far, about more than 8,300 […]
Informal and K-12 educators can participate in free professional development courses this summer. One course will focus on plant phenology and climate change. The course will provide information on how to participate in Project BudBurst (www.budburst.org), including suggestions for structuring your classroom involvement. It will be offered in two sessions: 11 June to 9 July […]
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has revised the guidelines for two of its grant programs. IMLS is seeking public comments on the draft guidelines for the Museums for America and National Leadership Grants for Museums programs. The guidelines for these programs have been revised to align with the IMLS Strategic Plan. IMLS […]
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is funding a new initiative to build a comprehensive evolutionary tree for all life on Earth. The program, “Assembling, Visualizing, and Analyzing the Tree of Life” (AVAToL) has made three awards to scientists who will work to create a central place where researchers can go to see and analyze the […]
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced the availability of funding to enhance and expand digitization of and access to existing biological and paleontological collections in the United States. The Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections is seeking full proposals for its third round of funding. Proposals will be accepted for new research themes (Thematic Collections […]
Today, scientists briefed Congress, federal agency personnel, and nongovernmental organization representatives about the importance of the nation’s natural science collections. The briefing explored how scientists and natural science collections managers are using new technology to digitize the nation’s natural science collections in an effort to increase access to these irreplaceable resources for research, education, and […]
Each year, scientists discover thousands of new species, but only a few enjoy the distinction of being named one of the top ten new species of the year. That honor is bestowed by the Informational Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University. The winners include organisms as diverse as a monkey, a jellyfish, and […]