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In 1997, the first Science and Society Committee meeting was held, bringing together EMBO Members to discuss the topic of “Molecular Biology in Society”. It was decided that the defining the role that EMBO might play in science communication, both towards interested members of the public, and regarding public policy, was crucial. It was decided that a particular emphasis should be made on building interactions with secondary school teachers.

A year later Frank Gannon, then Executive Director, wrote a paper regarding Basic Research and the Future of Science Policy, again highlighting EMBO’s keen interest in leading in this sphere. In 1999 there were two joint meetings with the European Federation of Biotechnology and the European Genetics Foundation regarding controversial scientific topics, and in that same year Dr. Andrew Moore was hired to lead the Science + Society Program. Under Dr. Moore the project focused on creating events, resources, and support activities that led to better understanding of science and scientists by laypersons.

In 2002 the Science & Society Program established “Continuing Education for European Biology Teachers”, an EC Funded project Designed to provide a new layer of professional development for biology teachers through workshops, training courses, and through the creation of a resource centre. Science Communication and Science Writing prizes were also created to reward researchers for their work in communicating scientific topics to broad audiences.

Yearly stakeholder meetings were also established, bringing together scientists, philosophers, policy makers, teachers, and members of the general public to discuss controversial topics regarding scientific ethics, such as the role of genetic modification in food policy and animal testing. In the latter case EMBO published a position paper regarding its stance on the use of animals in research.

In 2006, EMBO become one of sixteen partners involved in the BioTethed project, an initiative which promoted biotechnology ethics and its interaction with other fields of science, scientists and the general public.

In 2009 EMBO organised a summer school for graduate and PHD students at EMBL, and began to be involved in the “Initiative for Science in Europe”, an organisation intended as a platform of European scientific organizations meant to promote basic science at the European level, design and implement European science policies, and advocate independent scientific advice in European policy making. The ISE was eventually realised in 2017.

In 2010 the remit of the programme changed, with its purpose now being to influence European research policy for the benefit of the scientific community, as well as analysing and advising on research-related issues. Therefore, EMBO Council decided to change the name of this programme to "Science Policy Programme”. Following this change the science policy programme was incorporate into the General Programme of the EMBC in 2012. Since then there has been a greater emphasis on ensuring the ethical conduct of members and fellows. It co-developed an Epigeum course on research integrity which became mandatory for all new fellows.

The Course Committee was first appointed by council on May 8th 1965, in order to manage funds the organisation were to receive from the Volkswagen Foundation in December of that year . The structure of the grant allocated funding for Courses and Workshops, the former providing laboratory training in new scientific techniques, and the latter being more informal meetings, bringing scientists together and offering them the opportunity to learn and present new discoveries. The remit of the department has expanded over time, now encompassing keynote lectures, conferences, training, and scientific training conducted in non-EMBC countries. EMBO also formed partnerships with other organisations to offer training courses, including symposia offered in collaboration with the European Science Foundation (ESF), and Plenary Lectures organised alongside the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS).

The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) was founded in 1964 as a professional society for life scientists with the goal of strengthening molecular biology research in Europe and fostering international collaboration. Its creation was inspired by a growing recognition in the postwar period that Europe needed stronger infrastructure and cooperation to remain competitive in biological sciences, particularly compared with the United States.

In its early years, EMBO focused on supporting scientific exchange and training, notably through fellowships that enabled young researchers to work abroad and acquire new expertise, as well as its core membership. EMBO also began organising scientific meetings, workshops, and courses that encouraged collaboration and the dissemination of knowledge across national boundaries.

As one way of meeting its goals, EMBO considered the creation of a central laboratory, and along with the EMBC created the EMBL in 1974.

Over time, EMBO expanded its activities to include scientific publishing (launching The EMBO Journal in 1982, followed by other high-impact journals), policy advocacy for life sciences, and the development of programs that supported career progression, such as the EMBO Young Investigator Programme (1999) and EMBO Global Investigator Network (2019).

Today, EMBO represents over 2,000 elected members and associate members worldwide. It continues to play a vital role in promoting excellence in the life sciences through funding, training, networking, publishing, and policy engagement, with an enduring emphasis on international cooperation and scientific quality.

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of European states, formally established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1993. It traces its origins to earlier forms of European cooperation, including the European Coal and Steel Community (1951) and the European Economic Community (1957). The EU aims to promote peace, stability, and prosperity through shared institutions, a single market, and common policies in areas such as trade, agriculture, research, and the environment. It has progressively expanded in membership and competences, and today comprises 27 member states (following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom in 2020). The EU operates through a system of supranational institutions—including the European Commission, European Parliament, and European Council—and has its own legal framework, currency (the euro, adopted by 20 members), and external relations.

EMBO Press is the editorially independent publishing arm of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). It brings together EMBO’s scientific journals and publishing activities under EMBO’s own publishing platform with a stated mission to promote transparent, ethical, and reproducible scientific publishing. EMBO’s journals began as discrete titles with the establishment of The EMBO Journal in 1982, and were published on behalf of EMBO by commercial publishing partners for many years; in 2013 EMBO consolidated editorial control and branding under EMBO Press while continuing to work with production/distribution partners.

EMBO Press currently publishes five titles: The EMBO Journal, EMBO Reports, Molecular Systems Biology, EMBO Molecular Medicine, and Life Science Alliance.

The Membership Department administers EMBO’s elected membership, the core body of the organization since its foundation in 1964. From the beginning, the EMBO Secretariat managed the nomination and election of Members. As membership grew through the 1980s and 1990s, these tasks developed into a dedicated function within the EMBO Office in Heidelberg. The department's main responsibilities are administering the annual nomination and voting process for new Members and Associate Members, acting as the point of contact for Members and communicating announcements, updates, and recognition of new elections, and keeping the official membership register and related biographical data.

The Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) was established in 1964 as a non-profit scientific organization to promote and support biochemistry, molecular biology, and related disciplines in Europe. It is one of the largest organizations of its kind in the region, bringing together national biochemical societies across Europe and neighbouring areas. FEBS organizes annual congresses, advanced courses, fellowships, and publications—including The FEBS Journal—to foster scientific exchange, training, and collaboration.


EMBO’s women in science program began in the early 2000s, with a special meeting called “The Glass Ceiling for Women in the Life Sciences being held in June 2001, and Gerlind Wallon producing a position paper highlighting the issues facing women in the life sciences in December of the same year.
In 2002, EMBO established Re-Start Fellowships, the purpose of which was to support women scientists who wanted to return to the bench after having taken a break (eg. Maternity leave), with 2 year fellowships.
In 2006, the Set-Routes initiative was established. For a period of 3 years, The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and the European Organization for Particle Physics (CERN) managed an initiative to increase the visibility of women in science in education by mobilising “successful women in science, engineering and technology (SET) to go into schools and universities throughout Europe and beyond.” This project was funded by the European Commission.
In October 2008, EMBO council stated that all EMBO programmes were to keep statistics and have established rules and guidelines that highlight and address the under-representation of women in science, and in that same year the first EMBO/FEBS Women in Science awardee was chosen.
The Women in Science programme has engaged in other activities, including holding meetings, publishing reports on the issues facing women in science in scientific journals, and funding lectures by prominent women scientists.

The European Cell Biology Organisation was founded in 1969 to promote the advancement of cell biology in Europe through international collaboration, training, and scientific exchange. It organised congresses, meetings, and training activities to strengthen the discipline and provide a platform for researchers across national boundaries.
ECBO applied to become affiliated with the EMBC in December 1974. A working group of the EMBC was established to evaluate this proposal, which recommended that two representatives of ECBO be represented on the EMBO course committee, which was accepted.

The European Science Foundation was established in 1974 as an association of major national funding agencies and research organisations across Europe. Its mission was to promote high-quality science in a European context by coordinating research activities, funding collaborative programmes, and facilitating scientific networking across disciplines. Headquartered in Strasbourg, France, ESF played a significant role in shaping European research policy, supporting mobility and cooperation, and fostering new areas of scientific inquiry. From the 1980s through the early 2000s, it sponsored research programmes, exploratory workshops, and networking activities across the humanities, social sciences, life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering. With the rise of the European Union’s Framework Programmes and the creation of the European Research Council, ESF’s role gradually shifted. In the 2010s it restructured, winding down many of its scientific programmes and transitioning to a service-based organisation supporting peer review, evaluation, and research management.