Founded in 2016 through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and housed at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Network Initiative for Conservation Science (NY-NICS) offers access to expert conservation science researchers and state-of-the-art instruments to cultural heritage institutions across the city.  Anchored in material science and chemistry, conservation science as a field is broadly engaged in applying contemporary imaging and analytic techniques to questions of the history of artistic practice, which can range from the adoption of new materials over time to the creative processes of individual artists. Led by Marco Leona, NY-NICS has spearheaded partnerships with 11 key NYC cultural institutions since its founding, including the Brooklyn Museum, the Frick Collection, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the American Museum of Natural History, and the New York Public Library. This grant joins the Mellon Foundation in its support for the continued operation and expansion of the NY-NICS, allowing it to hire additional staff, expand the network further, and grow its list of partnerships with a particular eye on important but less well-resourced cultural institutions in New York.