Every computational mind in life sciences deserves a path forward.
We are creating doors that open based on skills and celebrate every way into the field.
About us
The Association of Bioinformatics Professionals creates skill-based standards for the professional practice of bioinformatics. We close the gap between training and employment by shifting the focus from academic credentials to practical skills. The ABP is both an organization and a community made to empower the people who can do bioinformatics, no matter the path they followed.
Vision
How we do our work, what drives us, and where we’re headed.
Core values
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People first
Discoveries are made by people, not by machines. In a field that often reduces us to what we can produce, we reject the idea that emotions have no place in professional excellence. Emotional connections are what motivates us to push ourselves to achieve the impossible. Every decision we make is about ensuring bioinformatics professionals feel seen, valued, and emotionally empowered in their work, their lives, and their communities.
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Radical belonging
Belonging starts when we stop trying to be what everyone else is expecting us to be. In an environment of high expectations, we honor every unique entry point and definition of success in bioinformatics. By having the courage to bring our authentic selves to this work, our vulnerability grants everyone else permission to do the same.
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Grounded action
We choose focus over chaos. In a culture that glorifies busyness and doing what's always been done, we have the courage to challenge the status quo. We protect our time, eliminate noise, and direct our energy only toward the work that gets us closer to our goals.
Purpose
To ensure every computational mind in life sciences has the power, pathway, and self-belief to drive scientific discovery.
Mission
By 2035, unite 80% of top global life sciences organizations under skill-based standards for the professional practice of bioinformatics.
What 2035 looks like
Identity and belonging
Every single bioinformatician is able to articulate at the dinner table what they do for a living with the same ease that an engineer or a doctor would. Young students enter a bioinformatics community that empowers them to pursue and celebrate their very own definition of success. Bioinformatics professionals feel valued as core contributors to scientific discoveries, and their compensations reflect the years of specialized training and risk management the role requires. Every bioinformatics professional has an unshakeable self-belief in their value regardless of their academic background.
Market and hiring
The life sciences market hires based on demonstrated skill, not arbitrary academic paths. Employers can easily find skilled talent for every open position. Graduate students and postdocs can be recognized and compensated as bioinformatics professionals while they complete their training to become an independent research group leader. Educational institutions have better tools to help students develop the skills that the job market needs. Employers maintain protected entry-level pathways so early career professionals can grow into future senior experts. The sustained influx of diverse skilled talent propels the life sciences ecosystem.
Research culture and reproducibility
The research ecosystem incentivizes doing bioinformatics right, rather than just doing it fast. Reproducible research is celebrated, expected, and rewarded with the time and resources it requires. Funding agencies allocate funds to support bioinformatics activities and professionals as essential pillars of life sciences research. Artificial Intelligence is governed by community-led standards as a tool that can amplify human capabilities. Employers have abandoned the idea of attempting to replace bioinformaticians with AI agents.