The Natural Science Collections Alliance has provided testimony to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees regarding fiscal year (FY) 2026 funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
“The IMLS is the primary federal agency that supports public education programs at museums and an important source of funding for preserving scientific collections,” the testimony reads. “Investments in IMLS and its efforts to support scientific and educational advances in science collections are in the national interest. Scientific collections contribute to improved public well-being and national economic security. This important documentation of our nation’s heritage is irreplaceable; it cannot be reconstructed or reassembled at a later date. Specimens collected decades or centuries ago are increasingly used to develop and validate models that explain how species, including viruses, parasites, and pathogens have dispersed around the world, as well as how and when they might infect humans.”
The testimony urged appropriators to provide sustained funding for the IMLS in FY 2026, with at least $55.5 million for its Office of Museum Services.
Read the House testimony. A similar testimony will be sent to the Senate.