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.
An archived video of the National Institutes for Health/National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity December 2011 workshop is now available online. The workshop, “The Intersection of Science and Security: a Case Study Approach,” examined dual use research, life science research that has the potential to be misused to threaten public health or national security. The […]
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 – […]
The NSF-funded iDigBio project is seeking applications for its 2013 Visiting Scholars Program. This program is directed towards early-career collections and informatics-based professionals with demonstrated interest in digitization, particularly those who broaden representation within this academic and professional community.
On 5 June 2012, the Natural Science Collections Alliance will host a science briefing for policymakers in Washington, DC. Natural science collections are research facilities and infrastructure that house irreplaceable specimens and data. This program, “Digitizing Science Collections: Unlocking Data for Research and Innovation,†will explore how new technologies and techniques make it possible to […]
A new national initiative promises to improve college biology education by engaging faculty members in an effort to change how post-secondary life sciences departments approach education. PULSE, which stands for Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education, is a collaborative effort funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Howard […]
The House of Representatives is scheduled to begin debating legislation on 8 May 2012 that would fund the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other federal agencies in fiscal year 2013. Importantly, this bill (H.R. 5326) will determine how much funding will be available for NSF’s scientific research and education programs in the coming year. The […]
On Tuesday, 5 June 2012, the Natural Science Collections Alliance will sponsor a science briefing for congressional lawmakers in Washington, DC. The briefing, which will take place in room 2325 of the Rayburn House Office Building from 2:00-3:00 p.m., will provide policymakers with information about how digitization of specimens and associated data are increasing access […]
After several years of negotiations, the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) was formally established. The new independent body will be hosted in Bonn, Germany. IPBES aims to address the accelerating loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystem services around the globe by bridging the gap between accurate and impartial science and policymakers. […]
Cultural institutions are invited to plan for emergencies and enter for a chance to win disaster preparedness supplies. Museums, archives, and libraries are holding fire safety drills, updating disaster plans, and mapping emergency routes as part of the annual MayDay event. Organizations are encouraged to submit their plans to Heritage Preservation by 31 May 2012 […]
Representatives Chaka Fattah (D-PA) and Frank Wolf (R-VA) are the recipients of the 2012 Biological and Ecological Sciences Coalition (BESC) Award. The honor is given to congressional leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing science policy and research. “Our community of biological scientists greatly appreciates the years of leadership by Representatives Wolf and Fattah […]