National Council for Science and the Environment


The National Council for Science and the Environment is a U.S.-based non-profit organization which has a mission to improve the scientific basis for environmental decision-making. While an advocate for science and its use, NCSE does not take positions on environmental policies.
NCSE specializes in programs that bring together diverse individuals, institutions and communities to collaborate; particularly the many communities creating and using environmental knowledge, including research, education, environmental, and business organizations, as well as governmental bodies at all levels.
NCSE operates programs in five areas:
  1. Science solutions - programs that engage different communities to deploy science for decision-making on specific topics. This includes the and the Wildlife Habitat Policy Research Program.
  2. Strengthening education - which includes a University Affiliate Program with a and , a high school mentoring program
  3. National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment, a conference begun in 2000
  4. The Encyclopedia of Earth. NCSE acts as the Secretariat for the Environmental Information Coalition which is building the Encyclopedia of Earth.
  5. Science policy - which aims to build understanding of, and support for, environmental science and its application, and for the programs that make it possible. NCSE played an instrumental role in stimulating a National Science Foundation initiative to triple its annual budget for environmental research, education, and scientific assessment.