The election of five members of the International Society for Biocuration Executive Committee (ISB EC) will be held from September 21 – October 02, 2026.
Emails will be sent to current members on 21st September. Only current members, as of 16 September 2026, who receive this email will be allowed to vote. Please note that if you are an ISB member and do not receive the email please contact us at isb@biocurator.org.
Information about the candidates will be posted in September before the election.
The composition of the Executive Committee is to be increased to eleven (11) members, each with a 3-year term. Being a member of the Executive Committee is a great way to become directly involved with the work of our society, and contribute to the decisions that are taken on behalf of the biocuration community. We would like to encourage all ISB members interested in running for election to register.
Serving on the ISB EC minimally involves attending monthly (1 hour) teleconference meetings, following up on any action items from meetings, and promoting the ISB’s activity to members and non-members. Examples of activities performed by EC members include organizing online workshop sessions, coming up with ideas to improve outreach, preparing call for participation for hosting Biocuration meetings, preparing materials for the ISB election, monitoring ISB mail and maintaining the website. Typically you can expect to spend between 3-5 hours each month on ISB activities.
There are specific positions such as Chair, Secretary and Treasurer that do require a larger time commitment. There is no expectation that new EC members would take on these responsibilities.
5 positions on the Executive Committee are up for election in 2026/2027. Four current members of the EC are up for reelection this year: Frederique Lisacek, Luana Licata, Charles Tapley Hoyt, and Marc Gillespie . As the ISB is a non-profit organization governed by Swiss law one member of the ISB Executive Committee has to be a resident of Switzerland. (The current ISB EC members are here.) If no Swiss member is elected one will be appointed.
2026 Electoral Process
A) The Nominating Committee:
A Nominating Committee (NC) has been formed to oversee the electoral process, to review applications, and establish the final list of candidates. We are very grateful for their assistance with the execution of this election. The members of the 2023 Nominating Committee to be confirmed includes:
- Sabrina Toro (Election officer)
- Pascale Gaudet
- Federica Quaglia
- Sindi Lukhele
- Vicky Nembaware
B) Instructions to Candidates:
If you would like to run for a position on the Executive Committee, please fill out this form by 4 September 2026, which includes a ‘statement of intent‘, a brief biographical sketch, and a ‘conflict of interests‘ statement describing any activities, memberships of other associations, editorial positions on journals, etc. (Please email isb@biocurator.org if you are unable to access this form).
Only ISB members can be included on the ISB EC election ballot. Please check that you are an ISB member or join the ISB before completing the application form.
C) Timeline:
- Nominations will be received until end of 4 September 2026.
- The NC will review all candidacies and share their selections with the ISB Executive Committee by 18 September 2026.
- A list of candidates must be available by 21 September 2026 on the website (with letters of intent)
- Emails announcing the candidates and voting must be sent to members on 21 September 2026.
- Voting will take place online over the course of one week from 21 September – 02 October 20263. (Further details about the voting process will be shared soon).
- The election officer TBC.
- Only current members, as of 16 September 2026, who receive an email* will be allowed to vote.
*Note – please note that if you are an ISB member and do not receive the email please contact us at isb@biocurator.org
The Nominating Committee is looking forward to receiving your applications!