AIBS: Advancing Research and Education in the Biological Sciences

The American Institute of Biological Sciences is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) scientific association dedicated to advancing biological research and education for the welfare of society. AIBS works to ensure that the public, legislators, funders, and the community of biologists have access to and use information that will guide them in making informed decisions about matters that require biological knowledge.

Founded in 1947 as a part of the National Academy of Sciences, AIBS became an independent, member-governed organization in the 1950s. Today, AIBS has nearly 160 member organizations and is headquartered in Reston, VA, with a Public Policy Office in Washington, DC. Its approximately 40 staff members work to achieve its mission by publishing the peer-reviewed journal BioScience and the education Web site ActionBioscience.org, by providing scientific peer-review and advisory services to government agencies and other clients, and by collaborating with scientific organizations to advance public policy, education, and the public understanding of science.

For a historical perspective on the Institute, see a 25th Anniversary historical review of AIBS (1.1MB pdf) written in 1972; or the 50th Anniversary historical review of AIBS (1MB pdf) written in 1997 (BioScience, 47:10).

Our Membership

As a meta organization for professional scientific societies and organizations, it's our responsibility to provide services, support, and a voice for a variety of disciplines that are united nonetheless by their dedication to research and education in biology. Members' interests span all of biology basic to applied, from molecular to organismal, from agronomy to zoology. Today, AIBS continues to experience growth in the number of member societies and our aggregate membership. For a current count and more information please see our society and organization membership section.

We also offer individual memberships, and there are some great reasons to join—starting with the AIBS journal, BioScience, provided to all members in print and online. For additional information please see our individual membership section.

Our Leadership

In accordance with the AIBS Constitution and Bylaws, we are governed by a Board of Directors elected by the membership each year. The Board is advised by programmatic committees and a Council of Representatives from AIBS's many member societies and organizations. We are fortunate to have had many accomplished scientists serve as AIBS President over the years.

The People at AIBS

We have almost 40 staff working in three offices: AIBS headquarters in Reston, Virginia, which houses our IT operations and Scientific Peer Advisory and Review Services (SPARS) division; our Public Policy Office in downtown Washington, D.C.; and our business office, in McLean, Virginia. AIBS has a robust telecommuting policy, with additional programmatic staff working off site from Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and Florida.

If you've got questions about our organization, please don't hesitate to let us know. We hope to hear from you soon!