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.
Staff, students, and representatives of NSC Alliance member organizations—as well as individuals interested in the Alliance’s mission—are invited to participate in a virtual meeting this February. Attendees will hear directly from the NSC Alliance Board about recent initiatives, gain insight into the Alliance’s impact, and engage in a strategic discussion to help shape future priority […]
As the year wraps up and we head into the holiday season, we invite you to take a look at NSC Alliance’s accomplishments in 2025. We engaged in a number of efforts to advocate for natural history collections and elevate their profile on the national and international stage. A few highlights are presented below: Read the full […]
Date: December 8, 2025Time: 2:00-3:00 PM Eastern Time / 12:00-1:00 PM Mountain Time / 11:00 AM-12:00 PM Pacific Time Please join us for an information session about repatriation and how it relates to natural history collections held at museums, herbaria, and other institutions. We will be joined by a wide array of speakers who will […]
On May 6, 2025, iDigBio hosted a webinar in collaboration with staff and students from Duke University titled “From Specimens to Stories: Defending Herbaria and Reconnecting Science with Society.” During the webinar, attendees were invited to share insights about the current state of their collections and offer ideas for how a potential Collections Task Force […]
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.