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 March 14, President Trump issued an Executive Order intended to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an agency that plays a crucial role in supporting museums and libraries nationwide. Then on March 31, the entire IMLS staff was placed on administrative leave, raising concerns about the agency’s ability to fulfill its legal obligations to […]
Date: Thursday, November 7, 2024Time: 3:00-4:00 PM Eastern Time / 1:00-2:00 PM Mountain TimeThis webinar will be recorded. Please join us for an information session about repatriation and how it relates to natural history collections, including zoological, botanical, paleontological, and geological collections. Speakers, including National NAGPRA Program Manager Melanie O’Brien and others, will discuss the […]
The Natural Science Collections Alliance is pleased to announce that we are once again joining with the American Institute of Biological Sciences to sponsor the 15th annual Biological Sciences Congressional District Visits event. This national initiative is an opportunity for scientists across the country to meet with their federal or state elected officials to showcase […]
In 2020, an ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released its report, Biological Collections: Ensuring Critical Research and Education for the 21st Century. Recommendation 8-1 of the report called for the establishment of a national Action Center for Biological Collections, which was codified into law by the U.S. Congress […]
The Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) has identified six emerging and early career professionals who will join the steering committee of the National Science Foundation-funded project, “Building an Integrated, Open, Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (BIOFAIR) Data Network.” The BIOFAIR Data Network project, led by BCoN and the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) in partnership […]
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Review Committee is holding two virtual public meetings on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and Thursday, November 30, 2023. Agenda, meeting materials, and registration links for the two meetings can be found here.
The Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN), in collaboration with the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) and with support from the National Science Foundation (Award No. 2303588), is organizing a community discussion series, entitled “Building an Integrated, Open, Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (BIOFAIR) Data Network.” NSC Alliance is a partner in this project. Critical to this […]
The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) Education Sessional Committee is hosting a virtual Natural History Education (NHE) DemoCamp. The goal is to share, discover, and discuss educational materials that have a framework in natural history. NSC Alliance is a partner in the event. The NHE DemoCamp is designed to provide materials and […]
Enter the Faces of Biology Photo Contest for a chance to win $250 and to have your photo appear on the cover of the journal BioScience. The competition recognizes scientists who use imagery to communicate aspects of biological research to the public and policymakers. Once again, this year’s competition is sponsored by the Society for […]
Please join representatives from the Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN) and the U.S. Culture Collection Network (USCCN) for a joint webinar discussion on the need for a Specimen Management Plan requirement in research proposals that generate living or preserved specimens. Recommended by the National Academies report on biological collections in 2020, this requirement is now supported […]