The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is a nonprofit scientific association headquartered in Washington, DC. It was founded in 1947 as a part of the National Academy of Sciences and has been an independent organization since the mid-1950s. The AIBS membership consists of approximately 6,000 biologists and 90 professional societies and other organizations; the combined individual membership of the latter exceeds 240,000 biologists. AIBS is an umbrella organization for the biological sciences dedicated to promoting an understanding of the natural living world, including the human species and its welfare, by engaging in coalition activities with its members in research, education, and public policy; publishing the peer-reviewed journal, BioScience, and the education website, www.actionbioscience.org; managing project offices for the National Ecological Observatory Network and the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center; providing scientific peer review and advisory services to government agencies and other clients; convening scientific meetings; and performing administrative services.