Membership
IPGS membership is open to universities, national agricultural research institutes, and recognized research colleges worldwide. The Society is academic by constitution; commercial entities do not hold membership.
Participation, not fees
Membership in IPGS is contribution-based, not fee-based. Members contribute to the Society through:
- Researcher time in Working Groups and committees.
- Laboratory, glasshouse, and field-trial capacity.
- Germplasm and reference datasets deposited in the Knowledge Commons.
- Co-hosting of workshops, summer schools, and symposia.
- In-kind secondment of administrative or technical staff to the Secretariat.
A symbolic annual administrative contribution may be introduced from 2028 onward to cover Knowledge Commons hosting, subject to ratification by the General Assembly.
How membership is structured
Founding
5–8 pioneer institutions at Charter signing.
- Permanent Board seat
- IP priority on joint outputs
- Alliance co-branding rights
Full
Universities & national research institutes.
- Voting rights in the Assembly
- Co-PI status on joint projects
- Full Knowledge Commons access
Associate
Research colleges & early-career networks.
- Training-programme access
- Joint-publication eligibility
- Observer rights in the Assembly
Observer
FAO, CGIAR, ministries, international bodies.
- General Assembly attendance
- Receipt of IPGS publications
- Policy-advisory capacity
Side-by-side comparison
| Benefit | Founding | Full | Associate | Observer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent Board seat | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Voting rights (General Assembly) | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Co-PI eligibility on Collaborative Projects | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Joint-publication eligibility | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Full Knowledge Commons access | ✓ | ✓ | Partial | Partial |
| Doctoral Fellowship eligibility | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Postdoctoral Mobility eligibility | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Working-Group leadership | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| IP priority on joint outputs | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Alliance co-branding rights | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Annual State of Grafting Science subscription | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Voting on Charter amendments | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
The 2026 founding members
Invited to the Wuhan Founding Meeting (7–10 May 2026), the founding cohort represents five continents and the world's principal schools of grafting research; two members will participate online.
Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura, Cruz das Almas
🇧🇷 BrazilUniversity of Catania
🇮🇹 ItalyCEBAS-CSIC, Department of Plant Nutrition, Murcia
🇪🇸 SpainAristotle University of Thessaloniki
🇬🇷 GreeceErciyes University, Faculty of Agriculture
🇹🇷 TürkiyePolitecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, Italy
🇮🇹 ItalyFrench National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE), France
🇫🇷 FranceLincoln University, New Zealand
🇳🇿 New ZealandCollege of Horticulture & Forestry Sciences, HZAU
🇨🇳 ChinaAdditional founding seats remain open for institutions from Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, consistent with the Society's equity mandate. Interested institutions should contact the Secretariat.
Institutional application
Institutional applications are reviewed twice yearly by the Board of Directors. The Secretariat will confirm receipt of your application within fifteen working days.
Before you apply
- Prepare. Review the IPGS Charter and Code of Conduct.
- Designate. Identify a senior institutional representative authorised to commit your institution.
- Submit. Complete the form below with an institutional profile, a letter of support from the Head of Institution, a statement of grafting-research activity (≤ 1 000 words), and the representative's CV.
- Review cycle. April and October each year.