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| International Association of Biological Societies | |
|---|---|
| Name | International Association of Biological Societies |
| Abbreviation | IABS |
| Formation | 20th century |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Headquarters | Geneva |
| Region served | Global |
| Membership | National and regional societies |
| Leader title | President |
International Association of Biological Societies is an umbrella nonprofit organization that coordinates national and regional biological societys, professional scientific associations, and conservation non-governmental organizations to promote research, education, and policy engagement in the life sciences. Founded to bridge academic universitys, museum institutions, botanical gardens, and field research stations, the association convenes stakeholders from across continents including members from United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, and Australia. It plays a role in facilitating interactions among notable institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, Natural History Museum, London, Kew Gardens, Max Planck Society, CNRS, Academia Sinica, Indian Council of Medical Research, and the Royal Society.
The association traces its origins to mid-20th century meetings among representatives of the Royal Society of London, National Academy of Sciences (United States), Académie des sciences (France), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science who sought platforms similar to the International Council for Science and the International Union of Biological Sciences. Early congresses featured delegates from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, British Ecological Society, Linnean Society of London, Society for Experimental Biology, Australian Academy of Science, and the Royal Society of New Zealand. Over decades the association engaged with global events such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Rio Earth Summit (1992), the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, and later the Paris Agreement, aligning biological research priorities with international policy fora including the World Health Organization and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The association's charter echoes aims of groups like the International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Wide Fund for Nature, and the International Society for Microbial Ecology by promoting scientific exchange, capacity building, and ethical standards for fieldwork and specimen curation across museums, herbaria, and laboratories. Objectives reference collaboration with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, International Barcode of Life Project, the Human Frontier Science Program, and funding bodies such as the European Research Council and the National Institutes of Health. It emphasizes alignment with frameworks such as the Nagoya Protocol and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets while supporting initiatives tied to awards like the Lasker Award, the Copley Medal, and the Crafoord Prize.
Membership comprises national biological societys, specialist learned societies such as the Society for Conservation Biology, American Society for Microbiology, Entomological Society of America, Genetics Society (UK), and professional bodies like the Royal Society of Biology, Federation of European Biochemical Societies, and the International Society for Computational Biology. Governance mirrors structures used by the International Mathematical Union and the International Astronomical Union with an elected council, a secretariat, and rotating presidencies drawn from leaders affiliated with institutions such as Harvard University, University of Cambridge, École Normale Supérieure, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Peking University, and the University of Cape Town. Committees include ethics, outreach, education, and finance with liaisons to the Global Environment Facility, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and national academies like the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Programs range from capacity-building workshops modeled after initiatives by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Rockefeller Foundation to data-sharing platforms akin to the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration. Field training collaborates with networks of research stations such as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the Station biologique de Roscoff, while conservation projects align with the IUCN Red List processes and partnerships with the Wildlife Conservation Society and BirdLife International. Education outreach connects to museum programs at institutions like the American Museum of Natural History and the Natural History Museum, Vienna, and scholarships are patterned after fellowships from the Newton Fund and the Fulbright Program.
The association organizes international congresses inspired by the scale of the International Congress of Entomology, the International Botanical Congress, and the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology meetings, rotating venues among capitals such as Geneva, Paris, Beijing, New Delhi, São Paulo, and Cape Town. Its publication series includes proceedings, policy briefs, and open-access journals modeled on the editorial standards of Nature, Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, The Lancet, and specialized titles like Molecular Biology and Evolution and Trends in Ecology & Evolution. Editorial boards recruit editors from Cell Press, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and university presses to ensure peer review and archiving with services such as CrossRef and DOAJ.
Strategic partners include intergovernmental entities such as the United Nations Environment Programme, World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, and multilateral research consortia like the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. It networks with philanthropic funders including the Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and collaborates with regional organizations such as the African Academy of Sciences, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and the European Molecular Biology Organization.
Funding sources combine membership dues from entities like the Royal Society and national academies, grants from bodies such as the European Commission, Horizon 2020, and the National Science Foundation (United States), project funding from philanthropic institutions like the Rockefeller Foundation and Ford Foundation, and income from conferences and publications similar to revenue models used by the Royal Society Publishing and American Association for the Advancement of Science. Financial oversight follows protocols comparable to those of the International Monetary Fund's transparency recommendations and audits by major firms operating in cities like London, New York City, and Zurich.
Category:International scientific organizations