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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#505050">NSC Alliance Washington Report, Volume 5, Issue 4, April 16, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p style="line-height:150%"><strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#505050">NSC Alliance Washington Report, Volume 5, Issue 4, April 16, 2014</span></strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#505050"><br>
<br>
In this Issue:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#505050;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">OSTP Issues Directives on Scientific Collections<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#505050;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NSC Alliance Testimony Supports Increased Funding for NSF<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#505050;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NSC Alliance Policy Director Testifies Before House Appropriations Panel<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#505050;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Report Analyzes Science Funding in President Obama's Budget Request<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#505050;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">USGS Develops New DNA Tool to Identify Invasive Plants<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#505050;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NSF to Host Google+ Hangout on Biodiversity<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#505050;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NSCA Welcomes New Members: SUNY-ESF and iDigBio<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#505050;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Call for Abstracts on University Museum Challenges<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#505050;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Upcoming NSC Alliance and iDigBio Symposium<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
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<p style="line-height:150%"><strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#505050">Policy News from NSC Alliance</span></strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#505050"><br>
<br>
Through the NSC Alliance partnership with the American Institute of Biological Sciences, we are pleased to provide NSC Alliance members with the following public policy update. With proper attribution to NSC Alliance, all material from these reports may be
reproduced or forwarded. We encourage you to share this report with colleagues at your institution.<br>
<br>
If you have any questions or require additional information regarding any of the following items, please contact NSC Alliance director of public policy Dr. Robert Gropp at 202-628-1500 x 250 or at
<a href="mailto:rgropp@aibs.org" target="_self"><span style="color:#336699">rgropp@aibs.org</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#505050">OSTP Issues Directives on Scientific Collections</span></strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#505050"><br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Notably, agencies will be required to improve public access to collections. Agencies are to work with the Smithsonian Institution to ensure that information on the contents of the collection is available in a central online clearinghouse. Several other directives
deal with budgeting for collection care, including outlining procedures for supporting new scientific collections.<br>
<br>
Agencies will also be required to describe how they will apply their policy to collections managed by a third party.<br>
<br>
In regards to de-accessioning collections, agencies must give preference to transferring collections to other federal agencies or non-federal institutions that will "continue to make the collections and information about the collections accessible for research
and education." Agencies will have to develop standards for de-accessioning and review the value of a collection to science, education, and resource management. Prior to de-accession, an agency must consult with researchers who have used the collection and
external parties interested in using the collection for research, resource management, or education.<br>
<br>
The new guidelines were developed by the Interagency Working Group on Scientific Collections. Agencies will have six months to comply with the new requirements. The policy only applies to "assets with long-term scientific value," not "materials assembled specifically
for short-term use... and not intended for long-term preservation."<br>
<br>
Congress directed the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in a 2010 law to develop "policies for the management and use of Federal scientific collections to improve the quality, organization, access, including online access, and long-term preservation
of such collections for the benefit of the scientific enterprise." The memo by Dr. John Holdren fulfills this requirement.<br>
<br>
The new memo builds upon a 2010 directive, in which Holdren required federal agencies to budget realistically for proper care of collections, to develop best practices for maintaining and preserving scientific collections, and to make collections more accessible
to the public.<br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NSC Alliance Testimony Supports Increased Funding for NSF</span></strong><br>
<br>
The Natural Science Collections Alliance provided testimony to Congress in favor of increased funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF). The requested $7.5 billion would restore proposed cuts to research funding and enable continued investments in natural
history collections.<br>
<br>
NSF requested $7.255 billion in fiscal year 2015. At this level, biological research funding would be cut by $12.75 million, although significant new investments would be made in science education.<br>
<br>
Congress is currently considering funding levels for the next fiscal year, which will start on 1 October 2014.<br>
<br>
Read the NSC Alliance testimony at <a href="http://nscalliance.us3.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=95a09b1507e3dcc0866293235&id=003710d55b&e=6867996fbf">
<span style="color:#336699">http://nscalliance.org/?p=721</span></a>.<br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NSC Alliance Policy Director Testifies Before House Appropriations Panel</span></strong><br>
<br>
On 10 April 2014, the NSC Alliance director of public policy Dr. Robert Gropp was a witness on a panel offering testimony before the House Subcommittee on Interior and Environment Appropriations. He testified in his capacity as Chairman of the USGS Coalition,
an alliance of organizations united by a commitment to the continued vitality of the United States Geological Survey. The NSC Alliance is a member of the coalition.<br>
<br>
Gropp made a case for a fiscal year 2015 appropriation of $1.2 billion for the USGS, a level just over $100 million above that requested by the Administration. He noted, among other things, that restoring proposed cuts and providing $75 million in new funding
would allow the Survey to sustain efforts in bio-science data projects, enable USGS scientists to more fully engage with their professional communities through participation in scientific meetings, support new research on wildlife and ecosystems, and sustain
long-term environmental monitoring efforts.<br>
<br>
Representative Simpson (R-ID) shared his concern that the USGS receive adequate funding to sustain long-term monitoring, specifically referencing the importance of stream gauge data. Mapping and combating invasive species were other issues raised by Subcommittee
members. The Subcommittee also discussed bipartisan legislation introduced by Representative Simpson that would change the way the government funds efforts to combat wildfires. It is increasingly common that the government has an inadequate budget to cover
firefighting costs. As a result, money is often reprogrammed from discretionary accounts, such as research, to cover fire expenses.<br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Report Analyzes Science Funding in President Obama's Budget Request</span></strong><br>
<br>
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 the National Science Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, and other agencies. Download a free copy of the report at
<a href="http://nscalliance.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95a09b1507e3dcc0866293235&id=994c560fa2&e=6867996fbf">
<span style="color:#336699">www.aibs.org/public-policy/budget_report.html</span></a>.<br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">USGS Develops New DNA Tool to Identify Invasive Plants</span></strong><br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
"When invasive plants appear in a body of water, local people naturally are alarmed," said Nancy Rybicki, a USGS biologist who worked on the team that developed the new testing technique. "Enormous amounts of money are spent on control. Some species may look
very nearly identical, but they have unique reproductive and growth characteristics. Identification, the first step for control or eradication, needs to be precise."<br>
<br>
The tool will be used to combat invasive hydrilla in the Potomac River near Washington, DC.<br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NSF to Host Google+ Hangout on Biodiversity</span></strong><br>
<br>
The National Science Foundation will host an online hangout about the benefits of biodiversity and how researchers are measuring biodiversity in a changing environment. The hangout will be held on 17 April 2014 at 3 pm EDT. An archived version will be posted
on YouTube after the event. Learn more at <a href="http://nscalliance.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95a09b1507e3dcc0866293235&id=7b022addf4&e=6867996fbf">
<span style="color:#336699">http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=131057&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click</span></a>.<br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NSCA Welcomes New Members: SUNY-ESF and iDigBio</span></strong><br>
<br>
The Natural Science Collections Alliance is pleased to announce two new members. In the past month, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and iDigBio joined the Alliance. If your organization is not yet a member, please
contact Larry Page, NSCA President, or Robert Gropp, NSCA director of policy, to learn how your participation in NSCA helps advance science and the shared interests of the natural science collections community. You can also learn more about NSCA by visiting
<a href="http://nscalliance.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95a09b1507e3dcc0866293235&id=1143727058&e=6867996fbf">
<span style="color:#336699">www.nscalliance.org</span></a>.<br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Call for Abstracts on University Museum Challenges</span></strong><br>
<br>
The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections will hold a session on 'University Museum Challenges' at their upcoming conference. Abstracts are now being accepted on topics that explore challenges unique to university museums. Learn more at
<a href="http://nscalliance.us3.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=95a09b1507e3dcc0866293235&id=b419e6fdca&e=6867996fbf">
<span style="color:#336699">http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/spnhc2014/submissions/</span></a>.<br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Upcoming NSC Alliance and iDigBio Symposium</span></strong><br>
<br>
The Natural Science Collections Alliance and iDigBio will hold a symposium on the future of collections on 5-6 May 2014 at the University of Florida. This important program will emphasize the value of collections and address questions relevant to the national
digitization effort. Learn more at <a href="http://nscalliance.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95a09b1507e3dcc0866293235&id=ee2931e26e&e=6867996fbf">
<span style="color:#336699">http://nscalliance.org/?p=719</span></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#505050"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#505050">The Natural Science Collections Alliance is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit association that serves as an advocate for natural science
collections, the institutions that preserve them, and the research and education that extend from them for the benefit of science, society, and stewardship of the environment. NSC Alliance 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. Website:
<a href="http://nscalliance.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=95a09b1507e3dcc0866293235&id=400ce7704f&e=6867996fbf" target="_self">
<span style="color:#336699">www.NSCAlliance.org</span></a>.<br>
<br>
The NSC Alliance Washington Report is a publication of the NSC Alliance. For information about membership in the NSC Alliance, please contact
<a href="mailto:spotter@aibs.org">spotter@aibs.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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