About NIBB

Outline of NIBB

Research

The National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB) was founded in 1977 to promote and stimulate studies in the field of biology. As a center of excellence (COE), NIBB promotes biological sciences by conducting first-rate research on its own as well as in cooperation with other universities and research organizations. Research at NIBB covers a wide variety of biological fields, such as cell biology, developmental biology, neurobiology, evolutionary biology, environmental biology, and theoretical biology, and is conducted to elucidate general and fundamental mechanisms underlying various biological phenomena. 　

Education

Besides being a research institute, NIBB also functions as an institution of higher education.

PhD Program (Graduate University for Advanced Studies)

NIBB offers advanced graduate education in this excellent research environment with the goal of cultivating future leaders in biology. NIBB constitutes Basic Biology Program of the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI). The Program offers a five-year Doctoral course for university graduates and a three-year senior Doctoral course for those students who have completed a Master's course.

Graduate Program in NIBB

International Cooperation

In order to stimulate international scientific exchange in the field of basic biology, the National Institute of Basic Biology exchanges researchers, and periodically holds academic symposia.

NIBB annually hosts international conference, the NIBB Conference. The NIBB Conference has been held every year since the opening of the Institute in 1977. The purpose of the NIBB Conference is to provide a limited number of active researchers with the opportunity to freely discuss current issues in various areas of biological research. NIBB International Practical Courses are held as hands on international training courses.

NIBB also undertakes research activities based on academic exchange agreements in collaboration with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), COS Heidelberg in Germany, America’s Princeton University.

International Cooperation

NINS

In 2004, NIBB, in alliance with four other national institutes - the National Astronomical Observatory, the National Institute for Fusion Science, the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, and the Institute for Molecular Science - established the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), one of the four Inter-University Research Institute Corporations. At this time NINS began to promote collaboration among researchers of the five constituting institutes and to sponsor many projects.