The International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB) strives to support research and teaching in biophysics. IUPAB is a member of the International Council for Science (ICSU). Affiliated to it are the national adhering bodies of 50 countries.
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 IUPAB 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 Network 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 IUPAB Congresses.
The 16th International Biophysics Congress was hosted by the U.S. February 2-6, 2008 in Long Beach, CA, jointly with the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society and was attended by approximately 5500 participants. The next IUPAB Congress will be held in 2011 in Beijing, China.
Supporting Education and Opportunities for Younger Scientists
The IUPAB also helps to suppor training schools and workshops in biophysics, particularly in non-Congress years. In 2009, the union provided funds to the “School of Protein Science: From basic research to drug design” in Bulgaria, “NMR in Biological Sciences” in india, the “10th International Summer School in Biophysics” in Croatia, the “Latin-American Postgraduate Program Course of Biophysics” in Brazil, and "Biophysics for Human Health" in Romania
An an example, the 10th International Summer School on Biophysics, co-sponsored by the IUPAB, was held September 19-October 1, 2009 in Rovinj/Red Island, Croatia. Program lecturers from multiple countries covered topics including major techniques in biophysics, structure and dynamics, bioinformatics, and biocomplexity in evolution. The school featured a mix of lectures, seminars, round-table discussions, and poster sessions.
Developing Disciplinary and Multidisciplinary Scientific Programs
The IUPAB includes Four Taskforces that address issues in:
- Bioinformatics
- Biomedical Spectroscopy
- Capacity Building & Education
- NMR in Biological Systems
It particualrly strives to support the development of biophysics on a regional basis, tailored to local issues and requirements. For example, the Taskforce on Capacity Building & Education has been working with biophysical societies in Brazil and Argentina as well as a network of universities to promote a Latin American Post-graduate Program in Biophysics. Students and postdocs in the program will be encouraged to develop their networks of regional collaborators; after successfully completing the program they will also be issued a certificate from IUPAB.
Fostering Responsible Conduct of Biology
The IUPAB Secretary-General, Cris Dos Remedios, was an active participant in the Second Forum on Biosecurity.
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.
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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