The International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation, established in 1919. Its objectives are:
- to promote the study of biological sciences;
- to initiate, facilitate and coordinate research and other scientific activities necessitating international, interdisciplinary cooperation;
- to ensure the discussion and dissemination of the results of cooperative research, particularly in connection with IUBS scientific programmes;
- to support the organisation of international conferences and assist in the publication of their reports.
The U.S. National Committees (USNCs) represent the United States scientific community in the international structure of the unions, work to promote positive international engagement and collaboration, and serve as bridges between the National Academies, the many disciplinary societies, scientific funding agencies, and individual American scientists.
The U.S. committee to IUBS supports the growth of biology by:
- Serving as a neutral venue where representatives of U.S. professional societies, government agencies, and other important stakeholders can meet to discuss trends in their disciplines
- Acting as a communication bridge between the U.S. and international scientific communities
- Initiating and facilitating activities on important disciplinary and trans-disciplinary issues
- Collaborating with other national and international organizations interested in the advancement of the biological sciences
Representing the U.S. in the International Newtork of the Union
The U.S. National Committee nominates scientists for leadership positions in the union, votes on union business matters, and sends a delegation of scientists to represent the U.S. in the triennial IUBS General Assemblies. U.S. members are actively engaged in IUBS leadership and chair IUBS scientific programs on Biology and Traditional Knowledge, Human Dimensions of Biodiversity, and Biology Education. John Jungck (Beloit College) also serves as an IUBS Vice-president.
The 30th General Assembly was held October 8-15, 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa in conjunction with the second Diversitas Open Science Conference, which was held October 13-16. Diversitas is an international scientific program that promotes research about, and examines policy implications of, biodiversity issues. The IUBS was one of the founding sponsors of this program, which now maintains an independent secretariat in France.
The 29th IUBS General Assembly was hosted by the U.S. National Committee to IUBS in Washington, DC on May 9-13, 2007. The U.S. was represented at the meeting by John Jungck (Beloit College; Chair of the USNC), Joel Cracraft (American Museum of Natural History), Jan Salick (Missouri Botanical Garden), Kamal Bawa (University of Massachusetts, Boston), Daphne Fautin (University of Kansas), James Hanken (Harvard University) and Marvalee Wake (University of California, Berkeley; IUBS Past-president).
Biological Science for the 21st Century: Meeting the Challenges  Biological Sciences for the 21st Century: Meeting the Challenges of Sustainable Development in an Era of Global Change
A symposium sponsored by the U.S. National Committee to the International Union of Biological Sciences as a component of the 29th IUBS General Assembly
May 10 – 12, 2007
Washington, DC The 2.5 day symposium was organized by the U.S. National Committee to IUBS and by a Scientific Steering Committee Chaired by William Clark (Harvard University). The sessions explored exciting developments in biological sciences research and how these developments could be harnessed to address world-wide challenges of promoting sustainable development in an era of global change. |
Supporting Education and Opportunities for Younger Scientists
John Jungck, Beloit College, chairs the IUBS program on biology education.
BioEd 2009: EVOLUTION IN ACTION
Christchurch, New Zealand
February 12 – 16, 2009
The meeting brought together scientists and educators from across the world to discuss the science and teaching of evolution, including its contribution towards current understanding of the origins of life, people and their languages, biodiversity and its conservation in a time of change, and the spread of disease. The Conference was held under the patronage of The IUBS Commission for Biological Education (IUBS-CBE), UNESCO, the Royal Society of New Zealand, and the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution. USNC/IUBS Chair John Jungck (Beloit College) was Chair of the BioEd 2009 Scientific Committee, along with co-Chairs Pete Lockhart and David Penny (Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution). Visit the conference website for further details.
Developing Disciplinary and Multidisciplinary Scientific Programs
Jan Salick, Missouri Botanical Garden, chairs the IUBS program on biology and traditional knowledge.
ETHNOBOTANY: INTEGRATING BIOLOGY AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
The Second William L. Brown Symposium
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
November 6 – 7, 2008
This two day symposium focused on how integration of knowledge systems can be facilitated to inform science, capacity building, sustainable development, and policy. The symposium was part of the activities held through the IUBS program on biology and traditional knowledge, chaired by USNC/IUBS member Jan Salick (Missouri Botanical Garden). The symposium organizing committee also included USNC/IUBS member Will McClatchey (University of Hawai’i at Manoa) along with Rainer Bussmann (Missouri Botanical Garden). Additional information is available from the symposium website.
MICROBIAL COMMONS CONFERENCE
June 12 – 13, 2008
Ghent, Belgium
An international conference on building an integrated infrastructure in microbial research dealing with issues such as bioinformatics, intellectual property rights, material transfer agreements, text mining, and integration with genomics databases
Fostering Responsible Conduct of Biology
The IUBS program on bioethics is chaired by John Buckeridge, RMIT University, Australia and the current IUBS President. The International Centre for Environmental and Bioethics (ICEB), focuses on developing and to implementing guidelines and best practice for the ethically sound and sustainable management of global biota and ecosystems.
SECOND INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON BIOSECURITY
March 30 – April 2, 2008
Budapest, Hungary
More than 80 people from 31 countries participated in the Forum and discussed challenges and opportunities for the scientific community in fostering policies that promote both scientific progress and security. An NRC report on the workshop was released in 2009.
CURRENT MembersHIP
The National Academies currently convenes five U.S. National Committees in the biological sciences, one committee for each union to which it adheres. Members of the committees are scientists from academe, government and industry who represent the U.S. research community and who have a strong interest in international science. Members generally serve for 3-year terms and are eligible for re-appointment to a second 3-year term. Members of the Executive Boards of the biology unions who reside in the U.S. serve as ex-officio members and are also invited to be actively involved with the committees. Nominations for new members are sought from a variety of sources, including the members and other Boards within the National Academies, scientific societies, and the scientific community at large.
Support for the five U.S. National Committees in the biological sciences is provided by the Directorate for Biological Sciences
of the National Science Foundation.
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