Dear Member

"Into the New Millennium - opportunities for the Bioscience Community"

The UK Life Sciences Committee (UKLSC) and the Institute of Biology (IOB) commissioned a report on the possibilities of greater cooperation between learned societies in the life sciences. The report was made public in December 1999 and has concluded that the time is ripe for organisations within the life sciences to consider the options available for them to work more effectively together on policy and other issues. Following the publication of the report the chairmen of UKLSC and the UK National Committee for Microbiology (UKNCM), and the President of the IOB, wrote a letter to all learned societies in the life sciences presenting the argument for moving cautiously towards a strong UK Bioscience Federation. This vision of a new Federation was shared by the individuals, drawn from the various constituencies, who have joined a new Steering Group to oversee a consultation.

UKLSC, UKNCM and the IOB are now consulting individual learned societies to determine whether they share that vision. The Biochemical Society Executive Committee had an opportunity to consider the report at its December meeting and gave it its support. The Society would now like to hear from its members, in order that your views can be taken into consideration when the Society frames its final response to the consultation. You can register your view by clicking here.

Yours sincerely

Keith Gull
Chairman, Executive Committee