The Natural Science Collections Alliance has joined a group of scientific societies in providing recommendations to lawmakers on legislation pertaining to the National Science Foundation (NSF) that assures the federal government is making the investments necessary to strengthen America’s economic competitiveness, ensure our national security, and allow us to tackle the significant challenges that lie […]
NSC Alliance Supports Diversification of Federal Science Advisory Committees
NSC Alliance has joined a group of scientific, professional, and academic organizations in sending a letter to 24 federal science agencies and departments in support of diversifying the science advisory committees that support policy decisions across the government. The groups argue, in part: “Lack of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in the federal government is […]
NSC Alliance Provides Comments on Draft Arctic Research Plan
NSC Alliance has provided comments to the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee, chaired by the National Science Foundation (NSF), on its Draft Arctic Research Plan. The comments highlight the critical role of biorepositories and collections in Arctic research. “We believe that the role of biorepositories should be emphasized in multiple parts of the plan, but […]
NSC Alliance Endorses House Bill to Double NSF Funding
The Natural Science Collections Alliance has endorsed bipartisan legislation introduced by House Science Committee leadership to expand the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) mission and budget. The National Science Foundation for the Future Act (H.R. 2225) proposes doubling NSF’s budget to $18.5 billion over five years and creating a new Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions (SES) that […]
NSC Alliance Provides Testimony in Support of FY 2022 Funding for NSF
The Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSC Alliance) has submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Committee, requesting Congress to provide the National Science Foundation with at least $10.2 billion in FY 2022 and highlighting the importance and role of natural history collections. The testimony reads, in part: “Collections are a critical resource for advancing the knowledge […]
NSC Alliance Submits Testimony in Support of Federal Funding for Collections
The NSC Alliance has submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Committee regarding fiscal year (FY) 2022 funding for certain programs that curate natural history collections within the Department of the Interior and Smithsonian Institution. “Preservation of specimens and the strategic growth of these collections are in the best interest of science and the best interest […]
NSC Alliance Joins Community in Urging Biden to Champion RISE Act
A coalition of more than 200 scientific and academic stakeholder groups, including NSC Alliance, have asked President Biden to champion the Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act (H.R.869, S.289) and support full funding for the initiatives the legislation would create. “The widespread, detrimental impact of COVID-19 on research and researchers, particularly those from underrepresented […]
NSC Alliance Highlights Biodiversity Collections in Letter to House Science Committee
On March 1, 2021, NSC Alliance joined forces with the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) and Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) in highlighting to lawmakers the value of mobilizing biodiversity specimens and data in spurring new scientific discoveries. In the letter to House Science Committee Leadership, the groups bring attention […]
NSC Alliance Supports Plan to Double Federal Science Spending
NSC Alliance has endorsed an action plan developed by the Science and Technology Action Committee that calls for doubling the federal expenditure for research and development and STEM education relative to gross domestic product (GDP), from 0.7 percent to 1.4 percent, over the next five years. The requested level of funding is estimated to reach […]
NSC Alliance Endorses Petition in Support of Field Stations
NSC Alliance has endorsed a petition expressing support for scientific research stations and their educational programming that have been adversely impacted by financial concerns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The petition reads, in part: “Unfortunately, current circumstances, especially COVID-related travel restrictions, have truncated cash flow to field stations thereby debilitating their capacity to […]