ROCKVILLE, MD – At their fall meeting, the Council of the Biophysical Society (BPS) discussed several orders of business important to a culture of inclusion. Specifically, the Council focused on the approval of a new set of Ethics Guidelines, created by an appointed Task Force for BPS Policy, for which the Society expects all members to comply. By committing to ethical behaviors, members live the BPS values, demonstrate respect for each other, and hold themselves responsible for public trust in science.

In addition, Council ratified policies and procedures for the revocation of BPS Awards and Fellows for members who violate those ethics guidelines. Recognizing a member as a BPS Awardee or Fellow is one important way that the Biophysical Society honors excellence, reflects its values, and affirms its community. BPS Awards and Fellow designations are ordinarily lifetime honors that communicate the Society’s determination of the individual’s exemplary role in the field and fitness to lead. Because of this ongoing affiliation, all Awardees and Fellows are expected to comply with the standards of BPS’s Ethics Guidelines and Code of Conduct as a condition of holding the distinction, regardless of when the honor was bestowed on the recipient. 

“The ethical standard that we put forth as scientific professionals, should reflect the rigor and dedication that we put into our research," said BPS President Frances Separovic, University of Melbourne, Australia. “Science is a lifelong endeavor of learning and discovery, simultaneously, BPS expects its members to exhibit that same commitment to maintaining appropriate professional conduct.”