The Natural Science Collections Alliance is pleased to announce that it is joining with the American Institute of Biological Sciences to sponsor the 8th 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 the people, facilities, and equipment that are required to support and conduct scientific research.
There is a pressing need for the scientific community to engage with policymakers about the value of natural history collections in research and education. As called for in the recent report from the Biodiversity Collections Network, “The community must do a better job of communicating outcomes and benefits of digitization efforts to policymakers, administrators, other scientists, and the public.”
NSC Alliance is pleased to be playing a leadership role in fostering these efforts by sponsoring this event.
The Biological Sciences Congressional District Visits event enables scientists and graduate students to meet with their elected officials without traveling to Washington, DC. Participants may either invite an elected official to tour their research facility or can meet at the lawmaker’s local office. Meetings will take place between mid-July and October, depending on the participant’s schedule.
NSC Alliance members who participate will receive one-on-one support and online training to prepare them for their tour or meeting.
Participation is free for NSC Alliance members, but registration will close on July 17, 2016. To register, visit https://www.aibs.org/public-policy/congressional_district_visits.html.