27th IUBMB Congress Meeting
September 19 – 23, 2027
Cape Town, South Africa
Welcome to IUBMB
The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology unites biochemists and molecular biologists in 75 countries and regions.
The IUBMB promotes research and education throughout the world, and especially in countries where the subject is still in its early development.
It achieves this in several ways.
Meet the IUBMB Team
Our Journals & Publications
IUBMB Fellowships & Scholarships
IUBMB Programme for Relocation Support for Displaced Trainees
The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) has established the Programme for Relocation Support for Displaced Trainees to assist members of the molecular life sciences community whose doctoral or postdoctoral training has been severely disrupted by armed conflict, violence, or natural disasters, resulting in the loss of infrastructure and research resources, that prevents or slows down their training.
This programme provides financial support of up to USD 2,500 to facilitate the relocation of affected trainees to a suitable host laboratory where their research training can be continued. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and decisions on their suitability will be made as soon as they are received. Funding decisions will be communicated within one week.
Allowable expenses include:
- The most economical airfare available
- Incidental travel costs directly related to the relocation (e.g., local transportation to and from airports)
- A one-night stay in an airport hotel, if appropriately justified
Displaced trainees are also eligible to apply for the IUBMB Wood-Whelan Research Fellowships, which provide support for research visits of up to four months in a host laboratory outside the country of residence. While the standard application deadlines for these fellowships are March 15 and September 15, exceptions will be granted in cases of displaced applicants.
Upcoming Deadlines
DATE | ACTIVITIES |
---|---|
*** | NO DEADLINE | IUBMB Relocation Support for Displaced Trainees |
DEC 15 | Application Deadline (quarterly basis) | IUBMB Travel Fellowships Application Deadline Extended | IUBMB Focused Meeting for 2026 & 2027 Application Deadline | IUBMB Education Fellowships Application Deadline | IUBMB Emerging Leader Award (NEW) Application Deadline | IUBMB Jubilee Award Lectures Application Deadline | IUBMB Plenary Lectures |
MAR 15 | Application Deadline (quarterly basis) | IUBMB Travel Fellowships Application Deadline | IUBMB Wood-Whelan Research Fellowships |
News
View more on our Recent News page
- IUBMB Journal Highlights | September 2025We are excited to highlight new research from the IUBMB Journals: IUBMB Life, BioFactors, Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education. Please also consider submitting your own research to the IUBMB Journals. You can expect to work with distinguished Editorial Board members and benefit from worldwide circulation and readership through our publishing… Read more: IUBMB Journal Highlights | September 2025
- Congratulations to the IUBMB Jubilee Award Lecturer & Plenary Lecturers of June 2025Congratulations to Professor Emmanuelle Charpentier from the Max Planck Society, Germany, recipient of the IUBMB Jubilee Award Lecture for her outstanding contributions in the discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology, CRISPR therapeutics and ERS Genomics and for developing the CRISPR-Cas genome editing technology and will be presented at the 27th IUBMB-FASBMB-SASBMB Congress 2027. Congratulations to Jean… Read more: Congratulations to the IUBMB Jubilee Award Lecturer & Plenary Lecturers of June 2025
- Congratulations to the IUBMB Early-Career Research Fellow of 2025Congratulations to Florence Nworah!
- Congratulations to our IUBMB Fellows of March 2025CONGRATULATIONS to the Wood Whelan Fellows from Argentina and Spain, who have received fellowships to travel to a lab in a different country for 4 months. We wish them much success in their research!
- Congratulations to the 2025 ENABLE awardeesCongratulations to the 3 trainees from South Africa who have received the IUBMB MilliporeSigma ENABLE-Africa Fellowships to attend the FEBS-IUBMB-ENABLE 2025 Conference on BRIDGING MINDS – Interdisciplinary research for the future of life sciences in Glasgow, UK. We wish them much success!
Events
Making Biology and Molecular Biology More Accessible
IUBMB Trainee Initiative

This initiative is supported by the IUBMB and is run by trainees and for trainees. The Trainee Initiative plans to host events, run contests, send newsletters, and reunite training biochemists and molecular biologists.
COVID-19 knows no borders. Neither should understanding the basis of COVID-19 tests.
A cooperative effort from biochemists around the world explains in different languages how testing for viral genetic material is used to diagnose COVID-19. COVID-19 knows no borders. Neither should understanding the basis of COVID-19 tests.
IUBMB-Nicholson Metabolic Maps
Follow Brianna Bibel, IUBMB Ambassador for Trainees
Resources for students
Friends of IUBMB
Please register as a “Friend of the IUBMB”. You will then receive the biannual IUBMB Newsletter and monthly emails to keep you up-to-date about our international activities and opportunities, such as fellowships, support for meetings, advanced schools, etc.
IUBMB Membership
Note that IUBMB membership is via membership of a partner organization. Individuals do not apply for membership in IUBMB. Instead, in order to participate in the programs of IUBMB and become eligible for awards and fellowships of IUBMB, individuals must be members of one of the Adhering or Associated Adhering national societies of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The list of such societies can be found here.
For Fellowships involving travel to a different country, priority will be given to applicants who are members of their local Societies. The host country must be a member of IUBMB.
A society, national council, or academy of sciences interested in joining the IUBMB should refer to the Statutes & By-Laws of the IUBMB and the proposal requirements found here.
Gender Equality in Science
We are pleased to work with the Standing Committee for Gender Equality in Science (SCGES) to promote equal access to science around the world.
IUBMB is committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion in all of its leadership, training and education missions in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology. SCGES Fourth Annnual Report | Executive Summary