Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, US science leaders and others have expressed frustration with the lack of an informed and coherent federal response, a sentiment that echoes objections to the handling of other pressing issues, such as climate change. NSC Alliance has endorsed a Viewpoint article, penned by past presidents of the […]
NSC Alliances Joins Community in Asking Congress to Complete Appropriations, Provide Research Relief
The Natural Science Collections Alliance was among 170 science and research stakeholders to write to congressional leadership urging swift action to complete work on the fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations bills with increases for federal science agencies and to provide emergency supplemental funding for research relief in the wake of COVID-19. The groups argue, in […]
NSC Alliance Supports Legislation to Reverse Executive Order on Schedule F
The Natural Science Collections Alliance has joined 15 other scientific organizations in thanking House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Representative Gerald Connolly (D-VA), and Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) for introducing the “Saving the Civil Service Act” (H.R. 8687) to reverse the October 21, 2020 Executive Order on Creating Schedule F in the Excepted Service. The […]
NSC Alliance Writes to Congress About COVID-19 Economic Recovery
On October 19, 2020, the NSC Alliance reiterated its request to key House and Senate leaders that any economic measures crafted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic address the financial harm being felt by natural history museums, botanical gardens, and other scientific societies and research organizations, which are an integral part of the nation’s bioeconomy. […]
Legislation Introduced to Provide COVID-19 Relief to Research Community
Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress have introduced bipartisan legislation to provide emergency relief appropriations for federal science agencies to support the research community during the ongoing public health crisis. On June 24, 2020, the Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act (H.R. 7308) was introduced by Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO), Fred Upton (R-MI), […]
ICE Guidance on Foreign Students Rescinded
On July 6, 2020, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a new guidance that would have forced international students to leave the U.S. if they did not participate in in-person instruction during the fall 2020 semester. The ICE guidance modified temporary exemptions issued in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those provisions […]
NSC Alliance Endorses Call for Protecting COVID-19 Patient Data
On July 10, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a notice ordering hospitals to bypass the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and send all COVID-19 patient data to a centralized database effective July 15, 2020. The directive raised concerns about transparency and public access to data for researchers as […]
NSC Alliance Endorses Call for Clarity on COVID-19 Business Loan Program
The NSC Alliance has joined with other organizations representing museums, zoos, and aquaria to endorse comments from the National Council of Nonprofits to the Small Business Administration. The comments were in response to the SBA’s Interim Final Rules on Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck Protection Program. The museum groups wrote: As you implement the […]
NSC Alliance Calls for $1 Billion to Support Collections-enabled Research and Education
On March 31, 2020, the NSC Alliance joined with the American Institute of Biological Sciences and Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections to remind federal science policy officials that biological collections can be used to better understand important societal problems, such as zoonoses like SARS-CoV-2. The groups highlighted the Extended Specimen Network (ESN) […]
NSC Alliance Provides Testimony in Support of FY 2021 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 $9 billion in FY 2021 and highlighting the importance and role of natural history collections. “Natural science collections advance scientific research and education, and that informs actions to improve […]