Charting ASBMB’s vibrant and sustainable future

Joan Conaway

Russell DeBose–Boyd

Five years ago, the world changed as a pandemic spread worldwide. Scientists worked swiftly to understand the novel virus and to engage labs and teams while navigating a host of professional and personal challenges. As we reflect on and mourn the profound human losses and research delayed, we also can celebrate the contributions and successes: the discoveries and coordinated action that saved millions of lives, the institutions that pivoted and adapted to continue research and the researchers and educators who persevered in their missions. 

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology navigated this intense five-year period successfully while continuing to provide vital programs and services to our community and adapting to a set of additional environmental changes. ASBMB’s Council knew it was essential to serve our community through challenging times, and we kept a steady hand on the wheel to steer through the storm.  

At the same time, a number of changes over the last five years — including COVID-19 as well as shifts in annual meeting trends and scientific publishing — are shaping ASBMB and all scientific societies. As president and treasurer, we want to share with you those key environmental shifts, and how they are informing ASBMB’s choices and organizational directions. While they create opportunity for — and require — innovation and evolution, ASBMB is confidently setting a course to build our bright future. 

Organizational strength rooted in history 

For nearly 120 years, ASBMB has supported the incredible potential of biochemistry and molecular biology research by publishing extraordinary scientific advances, connecting people at gatherings, advocating for science-forward policies and developing tomorrow’s scientific innovators. Over those years, ASBMB financed its programs and operations primarily through surpluses from the society’s scientific publishing enterprise, predominantly the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Until 2021, JBC provided funds to operate the journal, underwrite many ASBMB programs and provide surplus revenue that was invested prudently. The society’s publishing income kept annual meeting registration and membership dues far lower than expenses, funded generous awards and reimbursements and enabled ASBMB to provide a portfolio of services including public policy advocacy, professional development programs and more. In addition to the journals, meetings and membership contribute smaller portions of revenue to ASBMB.  

In addition, due to wise investment and stewardship over decades, ASBMB built a sound financial reserve. With historically strong financial markets in recent years, those reserves have grown to $115 million as of the end of 2024, and they are prudently invested for diversification, safety and growth. Council considers these reserves as a functioning endowment, with the income helping to support activities that are no longer fully supported by the revenue sources above. However, financial markets go down as well as up, and annual expenses have been growing, so we must be thoughtful and prudent about overreliance on reserve use and ensure annual activities meet financial goals as well. 

What has changed? 

Over the past five years, ASBMB experienced four big shifts in major annual activity areas. Collectively, these have grown an operating budget deficit now totaling $5.5 million annually: 

• Scientific publishing: In 2021, ASBMB journals moved to gold open access publishing. Council’s decision then was rooted in a deep commitment to making scientific discovery accessible, and we affirm that decision today. Council expected substantial changes to ASBMB’s financial framework and understood that a successful transition would hinge on the volume of published articles. Today, while ASBMB journals are producing high-quality publications, publishing revenue has declined roughly $7 million each year since then, ending the period of surpluses. Editorial teams continue to modernize operations and develop strategies that can build the volume essential for long-term sustainability.  

• Annual meeting: After the Experimental Biology meeting ended in 2022, ASBMB launched its own independent meeting. Today, ASBMB’s new annual meeting is young and evolving in exciting ways. Council is very supportive of innovation, and new offerings in the outstanding #ASBMB25 scientific program show we are on our way. At the same time, production costs are increasing, so ASBMB is exploring multiyear strategies that grow the annual meeting — and our smaller meetings — to ensure vibrant events and sustainable paths.  

• Membership: The society has long maintained dues well below other societies’ while providing a host of free programming and generous grants. With only two small previous dues increases over the last 20 years, ASBMB recently made incremental changes for 2025. But dues continue to be far lower than the cost of member programs. Both members and nonmembers benefit from the many mission-driven ASBMB programs that do not generate significant revenue, such as public affairs and outreach, professional development and education, ASBMB Today and other initiatives. 

• Program and operating expenses: Intense inflation in recent years and the expansion of many non–revenue-generating programs have put additional pressure on ASBMB’s budget. In addition to ASBMB programs and services, key operating expenses include ASBMB’s excellent professional staff, essential technology and other infrastructure, office expenses and governance and committee operations. 

As noted above, ASBMB Council agreed in 2020 that the society would draw responsibly on reserves to help support programs and, over the past several years, we have done so. In 2024, ASBMB drew $5.5 million from the reserve to fund program and organization costs, and Council approved a 2025 operating budget drawing another $5.5 million from reserves. However, the combined trajectory of changed revenue streams, continued expense growth and uncertain markets demonstrate that this will put the draw on a concerning upward course in just a few years unless we proactively address our challenges and costs.  

Building a future that advances and sustains our mission 

Council is as confident as ever about ASBMB's future and the role the society will play to advance molecular bioscience discoveries. As pandemic-era challenges and choices transition into long-term trends, ASBMB is in the process of planning for adaptation, innovation and growth that will ensure a strong foundation for ASBMB’s second full century of impact.  

In the last five years, most scientific societies have begun to experience similar trends in the areas we outlined above. But while we are not immune to their impact, ASBMB is among the scientific societies that are especially well-positioned to adapt and thrive by building our future strategically and consistently over the next five years. 

Thus, 2025 will be a year of planning and first decisions. That work will incorporate twin necessities: 1) determining how we can best pursue our mission efficiently and effectively and 2) ensuring sustainability by addressing a growing gap between expenses and revenues. Council is holding our 2025 budget constant from 2024, enabling programs to continue while the society assesses priorities and establishes highest objectives. 

To chart the future, Council’s strategic and financial planning will answer the following questions: 

• How will ASBMB reinforce and catalyze the infinite potential of BMB research, driving discoveries and future applications that serve science and broader society?   

• How will ASBMB best adapt our programming and modernize operations to deliver value that meets the opportunities and needs of our scientific vision and our membership? 

• How will ASBMB structure and plan activities to meet available resources? 

The new plans will affirm ASBMB’s mission, update our vision and set vibrant goals and objectives — all within the context of today’s rapidly evolving external environment and the society’s capacity.  

Thank you for your input — Council updates moving forward 

To prepare for this work, we have solicited substantial input about priorities from members, committees and other stakeholders over the past six months. Thank you! This spring, ASBMB will announce its new strategic plan, and the society will use the year to begin planning for implementation. You can expect regular updates about our progress, including at #ASBMB25, through a new virtual annual member business meeting this summer and in our usual information channels such as ASBMB Today.  

We deeply appreciate your membership and your engagement in all the facets of the society’s programs. Together, we can help shape the impact of molecular life science research and ensure a robust and engaged research community. As always, we welcome feedback from members. Please share your thoughts with us at president@ASBMB.org.