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Membership & Communities FAQ

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Membership General FAQ

Regular members are required to submit a copy of their CV and list of three publications with the Society Membership Application, in order to verify their status in the field of biophysics. Early Career members have to provide a copy of their CV. Student applicants must submit a copy of their most recent institutional Student ID and PI’s signature upon submitting the Society Membership Application. JPEG and TIF files are acceptable. The PI’s signature can be submitted on this form, written on the copy of the Student ID and submitted as one document, or a brief letter from the PI verifying a student’s status at their institution may be uploaded. A student’s academic advisor, dean, or head of department is acceptable in the absence of the PI. Emeritus members must have already been a regular Society member for at least ten consecutive years, be retired from the field, and be at least 60 years of age. A change to this member type must be confirmed and approved by the Membership Department. Please submit your written request to [email protected].
Your member ID number is your personal identification number to the Society. BPS staff use this number to reference member records and to apply payments. If you do not know your member ID number, please login to your myBPS account and view your membership snapshot. If you have not created a myBPS account, please create an account to manage your account details. It can also be found on your order information/receipt (as Customer ID) for any purchases, which would have been emailed from [email protected].
The Society no longer mails out membership cards. However, if you require documentation to confirm your membership, we can provide a letter for you with your history of BPS membership and/or meeting attendance and abstract submissions.
To update your account information, please login to your myBPS account and visit the “Personal Information” section of your account. If you have any problems, please feel free to contact BPS.
Receipts are emailed to you at the time of transaction to the email you provided for that transaction or on your membership record. Receipt emails will come from [email protected]. If you did not receive a receipt, please email us at [email protected]. Please give your name or Membership ID number, the product you purchased, and any information your institution requires (i.e., method of payment, billing address, abstract title, VAT, etc.). Please allow up to 72 hours to process your request.
This is a special category of membership rates available only to members in countries categorized by The World Bank as low and lower-middle income countries who would benefit from BPS membership at a reduced rate. To join or renew in this category, contact the Society at [email protected].
If you already have a Cell.com account: Enter your login information in the log in box . At the next screen, select the box “I receive my subscription through a society membership.” The box on the right will disappear and you will enter your Biophysical Society Membership ID number and your last name, and click “Activate Subscription.” If you do not have an account with Cell.com: Register for a new account [here]. Complete the form and click “Register” Navigate to  and click on the “Claim Access” link in the top right hand corner of the page, below your name. At the next screen, select the box “I receive my subscription through a society membership.” The box on the right disappears and you will enter your Biophysical Society Membership ID number and your last name, and click “Activate Subscription.” NOTE: When the activation is successful, you will receive this message: “Claim Activation Successful” You only need to activate your subscription once. You will receive an error message if you try to activate the subscription once it is already active. If you have trouble activating your account or accessing your Journal subscription, please contact [email protected].

Student Chapters FAQ

No, only the officers and the sponsor of the chapter need to be active BPS members. However, we hope you will encourage your members to join the Society and take advantage of all it has to offer, including free webinars for members throughout the year, reduced rates to attend the Annual and Thematic Meetings, the ability to apply for grants and awards, including the BPS Travel Award, and other opportunities.
Yes! You can search our Find a Biophysicist database to locate members who are interested in serving as a Chapter Sponsor. If you are still having trouble, you can also contact the Society and we will help to identify a potential sponsor for you chapter.
No! There is no cost to apply and recognized chapters will be reimbursed for expenses up to $200 during their first year of recognition.
No, we prefer it sent as a PDF or Word File, however you may elect to send it in by fax or through the post as well.
There is no set minimum, but you must have all of the officer positions filled in order to apply. Additionally, we will want to see that your chapter has the potential to be viable, sustain itself, and grow in the future. Most recognized chapters start with 10-20 members identified. Additionally, during the review, the BPS Education Committee will be looking to see if your institution offers a degree or concentration in biophysics from which a pipeline of potential new members can be drawn. Schools without programs or with very small programs are encouraged to partner with neighboring institutions to submit a joint application.
You may allow postdocs and others at your institution to be members of your chapter, however we do require that officers of the chapter be students, either at the undergraduate or graduate level.
No, in order to have your application considered for review, all of the officers must be identified and be current BPS Student Members at the time of submission. The rate for student membership is $25 per year. We also offer a special discount for students who reside full-time in countries classified as lower, lower-middle, and upper-middle income by The World Bank of $10 for up to 5 years of membership.
No, you do not have to charge members of your chapter if you do not wish to do so. Dues can be a way to generate revenue for your chapter and show that your members are committed to the chapter.
Your bylaws should be tailored to meet your specific chapter. The template is a rough guide for you to use and to build off of. Please make sure to revise it as will be appropriate for the chapter you are proposing, as well as making sure to fill in the sections of the template marked TBD (to be decided), they are for you to decide.