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.
Many publications have extolled the value of natural history collections, however few have calculated the cost of caring for scientific specimens. A recent paper estimates the cost of incorporating specimens into a natural history collection and making them accessible to researchers and the public. On average, it cost $17.51 per specimen for curation, installation, documentation, […]
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has launched a Wiki to seek community input on the grand challenge of understanding the complex relationship between genomes and phenomes. The Wiki is intended to facilitate discussion among researchers in diverse disciplines that intersect with biology, such as computation, mathematics, engineering, physics, and chemistry. The Wiki format encourages open […]
On 8 May 2014, three NSC Alliance members will be awarded the nation’s highest honor conferred on museums and libraries for service to the community. Only five museums and five libraries will be awarded the National Medal for Museum and Library Service this year. Among the 2014 award winners are the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, North Carolina […]
A new funding opportunity is available that will provide up to $14.4 million to support research into how learning happens outside the classroom. The new program is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, UK-based Wellcome Trust, UK Economic and Social Research Council and other collaborators including the MacArthur Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore […]
The Natural Science Collections Alliance has prepared a short report on how natural history collections contribute to wildlife management. “Informing Wildlife Management: Genetics Research Uses Natural History Collections†shows how researchers use genetic information preserved in scientific collections in cutting-edge wildlife research. Natural history collections are being used to prevent bird strikes with aircraft, better […]
Biological research is transforming our society and the world.  Help the public and policymakers better understand the breadth of biology by entering the Faces of Biology Photo Contest.  The competition is sponsored by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). The theme of the contest is “Faces of Biology.† Photographs entered into the contest must […]
In March 2014, President Obama’s science advisor directed federal agencies to develop policies to improve the management of and access to scientific collections that are owned, directly managed, or financially supported by the federal government. Notably, agencies are required to improve public access to collections. Agencies are directed to work with the Smithsonian Institution to […]
A report from the American Institute of Biological Sciences analyzes funding for biological research in President Obama’s budget request for fiscal year 2015. Most federal agencies would receive a small budget increase, but less than the rate of inflation, if the spending plan were enacted by Congress. The report provides detailed breakdowns of funding for […]
Researchers at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have developed a new DNA protocol to distinguish between native and invasive aquatic plant species that have almost identical appearances. The tool was created using voucher plant specimens. “When invasive plants appear in a body of water, local people naturally are alarmed†said Nancy Rybicki, a USGS […]
iDigBio is seeking input from the digitization community, broader collections community, other scientists, stakeholders, and any others interested in iDigBio’s activities. iDigBio is funded by the National Science Foundation as a national hub to advance digitization of biological collections. The survey addresses ways users have interacted with iDigBio; views regarding iDigBio’s website, portal, and social […]