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The Royal Society Of Biology

Also known as: Institute of Biology, The Society of Biology, The Institute of Biology

The Royal Society of Biology is a single unified voice for biology: advising Government and influencing policy; advancing education and professional development; supporting our members, and engaging and encouraging public interest in the life sciences.

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Activities & Mission

The Royal Society of Biology is a single unified voice for biology: advising Government and influencing policy; advancing education and professional development; supporting our members, and engaging and encouraging public interest in the life sciences.

Areas of Operation

Where this charity is registered to operate, as self-declared to the Charity Commission. These are regulatory classifications, not a list of active programmes, and don't necessarily indicate fundraising activity in each location.

Financial Information

Latest Income
£3,438,000
Latest Expenditure
£3,252,000

Financial Efficiency

Program Ratio 93.2%
% of income going directly to charitable activities

Higher than 49% of UK Charitable activities charities with income £1M to £10M (sample: 1335). How is this calculated?

Overall Efficiency 98.5%
% of expenditure going to programs (vs overhead)

Higher than 56% of UK Charitable activities charities with income £1M to £10M. How is this calculated?

Administrative Ratio 2.4%
Overhead (fundraising + governance) as % of total expenditure

Lower overhead than 54% of UK Charitable activities charities with income £1M to £10M. (Lower overhead is generally read as more efficient.) How is this calculated?

Latest Financial Breakdown

Income Sources

Donations & Legacies £475,000
Charitable Activities £2,783,000
Other Trading £123,000
Investments £57,000
Other Income £0

Expenditure Categories

Charitable Expenditure £3,204,000
Raising Funds £48,000
Governance £31,000
Grants to Institutions £1,000
Other Expenditure £0

Financial Trend

Annual Returns

As filed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Most recent filing covers the financial year ending 2024.

Financial YearIncomeExpenditureCharitable SpendingNet AssetsReservesStaff
2024
£3,438,000
£3,252,000£3,204,000£2,168,000£2,047,00040 / 350
2023
£2,766,000
£3,073,000£3,025,000£1,825,000£1,640,00038 / 250
2022
£2,771,000
£2,740,000£2,694,000£2,177,000£1,913,00032 / 250
2021
£2,788,000
£2,478,000£2,438,000£2,258,000£1,987,00030 / 100
2020
£2,745,000
£3,003,000£2,953,000£1,783,000£500,00034 / 150

Staff column shows: Employees / Volunteers

Frequently asked questions about The Royal Society Of Biology

What does The Royal Society Of Biology do?

The Royal Society of Biology is a single unified voice for biology: advising Government and influencing policy; advancing education and professional development; supporting our members, and engaging and encouraging public interest in the life sciences.

How much income did The Royal Society Of Biology report in 2024?

The Royal Society Of Biology reported total income of £3.44m and reported expenditure of £3.25m for the financial year ending 2024, based on the most recent annual return filed with the Charity Commission.

How efficient is The Royal Society Of Biology?

The Royal Society Of Biology has a program ratio of 93.2%, meaning that share of its income goes directly to charitable activities. This is higher than 49% of UK Charitable activities charities with income £1M to £10M (sample of 1335 charities). See our methodology for how this is calculated.

When was The Royal Society Of Biology registered as a charity?

The Royal Society Of Biology was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 4 July 1979 as charity number 277981. It has been registered for 47 years.

Who runs The Royal Society Of Biology?

The Royal Society Of Biology is governed by a board of 15 trustees. The chair of trustees is Professor Sir Ian Boyd. Trustees are legally responsible for the charity's governance and are listed in full on its profile.

Where does The Royal Society Of Biology operate?

The Royal Society Of Biology operates across 3 areas: Northern Ireland, Scotland and England And Wales.

Is The Royal Society Of Biology a registered charity?

Yes — The Royal Society Of Biology is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 277981.

Details

Address
Royal Society Biology
PO Box 33
95 Mortimer Street
London
W1W 7GB
Registration Date
4 July 1979
Status
Registered

Registry Information

Organisation Number
277981
Charity Number
277981

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Other notable Charitable activities charities

Major UK charities in the same primary sector, drawn from the curated priority cohort.

Trustees

Professor Sir Ian Boyd Chair
Alastair Land
Also governs 1 other charity
Dr Helen Watson
Dr Jacqui Piner
Dr Louise Leong
Lucy Hudson
Neil Burton
Paul Gemmill
PROF PATRICIA KUWABARA
Professor Dame Melanie Welham
Also governs 1 other charity
Professor Jeremy Pritchard
Professor Kalai Mathee
Professor Sara Louise Cosby
Professor Stefan Przyborski FRSB

Sectors & Classifications

Also Known As

  • Institute of Biology
  • The Society of Biology
  • The Institute of Biology

Data & trust

Register data refreshed
14 May 2026
Report a data issue