About
The society promotes the teaching and research of plant biology in New Zealand, and encourages the exchange of information among those with an interest in Plant Biology.
The society was founded as the New Zealand Society of Plant Physiologists on the 22 August, 1974, at an inaugural meeting in Palmerston North, and registered as an Incorporated Society in November 1978. Founded during an era of burgeoning interest in plant physiology within New Zealand, the society quickly became an important forum for communication between researchers with a common interest in plant function. In 2006 members voted to change the name of the society to the New Zealand Society of Plant Biologists, in recognition of the broad range of disciplines now represented by the society, from the level of individual molecules to the role of plants in global processes.
To foster interaction amongst our members and with the wider scientific community the society organises an annual conference, usually in collaboration with other scientific societies. Regular meeting partners include the NZ Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science, the NZ Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the NZ Microbiological Society. We also meet regularly with the Australian Society of Plant Scientists, joining the Australian COMBIO meetings approximately every three years. Every tenth year the COMBIO meeting is held in New Zealand, most recently as COMBIO 2009 in Christchurch.
Our membership is comprised primarily of professional scientists, academics and research students with interests in Plant Biology. Active members can be found at Crown Research Institutes, Universities and other public and private institutions throughout New Zealand. We welcome all new members who share an enthusiasm for plant biology. We particularly encourage student membership by offering discounted membership subscriptions and generous subsidies to students travelling to present their work at national and international meetings. Retired members are offered discounted membership rates, and members who have made a particularly significant contribution to the society are recognized with life membership.
Membership benefits include:
- Discounted registration to NZSPB annual meetings
- Student awards for travel to national and international conferences
- Prizes for the best student presentations at our annual meetings
- Roger Slack Award in Plant Biology
- Email and web-based alerts to upcoming events, awards, employment opportunities and more
- Functional plant biology best student paper award (in partnership with ASPS)
- Discounted registration to all COMBIO meetings in Australia (in partnership with ASPS)