American Society of Plant Biologists

What American Society of Plant Biologists does

American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional society founded in 1924 and headquartered at The Gude Plant Sciences Center in Rockville, Maryland. It serves plant scientists globally across academia, government laboratories, industry, and research institutions, with membership spanning six continents. The society's core offerings are three peer-reviewed scientific journals — Plant Physiology (launched 1926, one of the world's oldest plant science journals), The Plant Cell (launched 1989, ranked first in impact factor in its category within three years), and Plant Direct — published in partnership with Oxford University Press. Beyond publishing, ASPB operates the Plantae global online community platform (plantae.org), the annual Plant Biology conference attracting over 1,200 scientists, specialty conferences (Phenome, Synthetic Biology), an awards and grants portfolio (SURF, BLOOME, Innovation Prize, multiple named awards), and an advocacy program supporting federal plant science funding.

ASPB's technology stack centers on the aspb.org membership and information portal, the members.aspb.org self-service member portal, the Plantae community platform with webinars, job center, and mentoring center, and digital delivery of three journals through Oxford University Press. The society also runs a TapRoot podcast, The Signal and ASPB News newsletters, and a Teaching Tools in Plant Biology curriculum resource.

ASPB generates revenue through five streams: (1) annual membership dues across 12+ categories (regular, postdoctoral, graduate student, undergraduate, K-12 educator, retired, emeritus, life, patron, sustaining, corresponding), (2) journal subscriptions and publication fees (author charges, reprints, permissions) handled via OUP, (3) conference and event registrations, (4) corporate sponsorships and advertising (e.g., Conviron Scholars Program, journal ads), and (5) tax-deductible donations across multiple endowed funds and a Legacy Society. The go-to-market model is community-led and event-driven: growth comes from peer referrals among plant scientists, ambassador outreach, regional section activity across the US, Canada, and Mexico, and the gravitational pull of the annual conference and journal prestige.

Name

American Society of Plant Biologists

Legal name

American Society of Plant Biologists

Website

https://aspb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

American Society of Plant Biologists is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional society founded in 1924 that serves plant scientists globally through three peer-reviewed journals, the Plantae community platform, annual conferences, educational grants, and an awards program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Scientific Society and Scientific Publishing

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO)

Keywords

• Plant biology research
• Scientific publishing services
• Professional membership society
• Scientific conference events
• Research grant funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ASPB generates revenue through annual membership dues from plant scientists across academia, government, and industry. Membership categories include regular, postdoctoral associate, graduate student, undergraduate student, K-12 educator, retired, emeritus, life, patron, sustaining, and corresponding memberships.
2. Journal Publications: ASPB publishes three scientific journals and generates revenue through subscriptions, author charges, and permissions/reprints. Journals include Plant Physiology (one of the world's oldest plant science journals), The Plant Cell, and Plant Direct.
3. Conference and Events: Revenue from annual Plant Biology conferences, specialty conferences, workshops, and meeting registrations. The society also provides continuing education and professional development programming.
4. Sponsorships and Advertising: Corporate sponsorships for conferences, publications, programs, and the ASPB Conviron Scholars Program. Advertising opportunities in journals, newsletters, and digital platforms.
5. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations through various funds including SURF awards, travel awards, education initiatives, named awards (Joe Varner Travel Award, Romanoff Fund, Robert Rabson Award, Lawrence Bogorad Award, Eric E. Conn Young Investigator Award), and the Legacy Society.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

ASPB is a nonprofit professional society that advances plant science by providing membership services, publishing three peer-reviewed scientific journals (Plant Physiology, The Plant Cell, and Plant Direct) in partnership with Oxford University Press, operating the Plantae global online community platform for plant scientists, hosting the annual Plant Biology conference, and administering research grants, travel awards, and recognition programs for plant biologists worldwide.

Product overview

ASPB is a professional society offering a comprehensive portfolio of scientific journals (Plant Physiology, The Plant Cell, Plant Direct), an online community platform (Plantae), newsletters (ASPB News, The Signal), annual conferences (Plant Biology), educational programs (SURF awards, BLOOME grants), career resources (Job Center, Mentoring Center), podcasts (TapRoot), and numerous award programs recognizing excellence in plant biology research, education, and diversity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plant Physiology Journal International peer-reviewed journal devoted to physiology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, genetics, biophysics, and environmental biology of plants. Published in partnership with Oxford University Press.
• The Plant Cell Journal Peer-reviewed journal publishing novel plant biology research of special significance in the areas of cellular biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, development, and evolution.
• Plant Direct Journal Open access journal providing rapid publication of plant biology research, published in collaboration with ASPB.
• Plantae Online Community Platform Global online community and knowledge hub for plant scientists providing online community, curated resources, professional development materials, webinars, job center, and mentoring center.
• Plant Biology Annual Meeting Annual scientific conference bringing together plant scientists from around the world for presentations, networking, professional development, and public outreach events. Attracts over 1,200 plant scientists.
• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program supporting undergraduate students conducting research in plant biology with $6,000 stipends and travel funds to present at the annual Plant Biology conference.
• ASPB Travel Awards Competitive travel awards for early career scientists to attend the annual Plant Biology meeting, with emphasis on underrepresented groups.
• BLOOME Grants Grants supporting education and outreach activities including materials development and curriculum development for plant biology education.
• ASPB Conviron Scholars Program Scholarship program for undergraduate and graduate students studying Plant Biology, developed in partnership with Conviron.
• Teaching Tools in Plant Biology Up-to-date teaching modules on various aspects of plant biology for educators.
• Plantae Job Center Job board for plant science career opportunities connecting employers with plant biology professionals.
• Plantae Mentoring Center Platform connecting mentors and mentees based on career development goals, interests, and needs.
• ASPB Innovation Prize for Agricultural Technology Triennial prize recognizing outstanding work of industry scientists who translate discovery research into real-world outcomes benefiting agriculture. Inaugurated in 2015.
• Lawrence Bogorad Award for Excellence in Plant Biology Research Biennial award recognizing plant scientists whose work illuminates the present and suggests paths to enlighten the future. Established 2006.
• Robert Rabson Award Biennial award recognizing postdoctoral scholars and early career scientists who have made excellent contributions in the area of bioenergy research. Established 2012.
• Eric E. Conn Young Investigator Award Biennial award recognizing young plant scientists who demonstrate outstanding research and excellence in outreach, public service, mentoring, or teaching. Established 2011.
• ASPB Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award Biennial award honoring ASPB members who have made significant impact in mentoring, supporting, and advocating for underrepresented individuals in plant sciences. Established 2022.

Quantifiable outcome

• SURF program has supported over 300 students since 2001, providing $6,000 stipends plus travel funds for conference presentation
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Plantae (plantae.org)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASPB developed Plantae to address the need for a community and knowledge foundation for all plant scientists. Plantae serves as ASPB's primary global online community platform, providing online community, curated resources, professional development, webinars, job center, and mentoring center. All Plantae content is licensed under Creative Commons A-NC 2.0 License.
• Oxford University Press (OUP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASPB partners with Oxford University Press for journal publishing. ASPB's publishing program includes Plant Physiology and The Plant Cell published through OUP. OUP handles production, distribution, and certain business aspects of these journals. A FAQ document addresses the partnership details for members.
• ConvironminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConviron partnered with ASPB to develop the ASPB Conviron Scholars Program, a unique program for undergraduate and graduate students studying Plant Biology. Conviron has been delighted with the program's progress and impact on plant biology students.
• Lewis-BurkeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerASPB's Science Policy Committee works with Lewis-Burke, a government relations firm, which keeps the committee up-to-date on funding issues and opportunities. Lewis-Burke assists with advocacy efforts including Hill Day events where committee meets with congressional staff.
• AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASPB collaborates with AAAS on the ASPB/AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship program. ASPB Publications Committee reviews and ranks applications for this fellowship.
• Scientific Society Publisher Alliance (SSPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASPB participates in SSPA (by scientists for science), an alliance of scientific societies focused on publishing and advocacy for scientific publishing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Society for Experimental Biology: SEB is a UK-based peer scientific society with comparable mission (plant and animal biology research, journals, annual meetings). Comparable in journal publishing (Journal of Experimental Botany) and conference operations, though UK-centric in geographic focus.
• Botanical Society of America: Founded in 1906, BSA is a direct peer professional society for botanists and plant scientists. Comparable in mission (publishing American Journal of Botany, conferences, awards) and membership-based nonprofit structure, though it covers broader botanical science rather than molecular/cellular plant biology.
• Crop Science Society of America: CSSA is a direct peer society focused on crop science research and education. Comparable membership model, journal publishing program (Crop Science), and annual meetings overlapping with ASPB's plant biology community.
• American Institute of Biological Sciences: AIBS is a peer umbrella organization for the biological sciences with comparable advocacy, peer-reviewed publication (BioScience), and member society functions. Broader scope than ASPB but similar operational model and policy advocacy role.
• American Society of Agronomy: ASA is a peer professional society serving agronomists with overlapping plant science membership, joint conferences with CSSA and SSSA, and similar educational and publication programs. Shares the nonprofit scientific society model.
• Genetics Society of America: GSA is a peer scientific society with comparable structure: peer-reviewed journals (GENETICS, G3), annual conferences (Drosophila, fungal, population genetics meetings), and member-driven awards. Overlaps with ASPB in plant genetics research community.

Broad incumbents

• American Chemical Society: ACS is a broad incumbent scientific society with comparable nonprofit publishing model, multiple prestigious journals, member dues, conference programming, and education grants. Far larger scale (~150,000+ members) but structurally analogous.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science: AAAS is a broad incumbent in scientific publishing and advocacy (Science family of journals). Much larger than ASPB with overlapping federal science policy advocacy and Mass Media Fellowship program that ASPB participates in as a partner.

Others

• Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press: CSHL Press is a not-for-profit publisher of scientific journals and books in molecular biology. Adjacent to ASPB through journal publishing partnerships and competitive overlap in plant molecular biology content distribution.

Regional players

• European Plant Science Organisation: EPSO is a regional peer organization representing plant science institutions across Europe. Comparable mission in plant science research advocacy and community building, but operates as an academic federation rather than an individual membership society.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aspb
• Facebookfacebook.com/myASPB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-society-of-plant-biologists

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Society of Plant Biologists