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 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.