national cell biology societies and coordinating international activities; facilitating exchange between U.S. and international scientists; increasing cell biology training and capacity worldwide; and increasing international membership and satisfaction in the ASCB. The Membership Committee, chaired by the secretary, reviews and recommends policies related to membership retention and growth. The Minorities Affairs Committee seeks to significantly support underrepresented minority scientists in all stages of their education and career. The Program Committee develops the scientific program for the annual meeting, which is generally held in late Fall/early Winter. The Public Information Committee promotes education of the lay public in cell biology, directly and through the media. The Public Policy Committee regularly educates the United States Congress and the administration about the importance of basic biomedical funding and biomedical policy. The Committee for Postdocs and Students represents young scientists. They are dedicated to providing a forum for student and postdoc members to identify and address topics that are essential to their success. They strive to uphold the values and advance the goals of ASCB by promoting the active participation of students and postdocs in the scientific community and maximizing their effectiveness. The major objective of the Women in Cell Biology Committee is to provide opportunities and information useful to women and men in developing their careers in cell biology. The committee also provides career development advice of value to all basic biomedical scientists. The Cell: An Image Library is a comprehensive, easily accessible, public resource database of images, videos, and animations of cells from a variety of organisms, showcasing as well cell components and functions. The database will advance research on cellular activity with the ultimate goal of improving human health. San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment At the American Society for Cell Biology meeting in San Francisco in 2012, scientists developed the Declaration on Research Assessment, which calls for scientific output to be measured accurately and evaluated wisely. It also calls for scientists and institutions to reevaluate the use of impact factor to assess individual scientific efforts . References External links ASCB Education: iBiology - free online biology lectures The ASCB Post Non-profit organizations based in Maryland Biology societies Scientific organizations established in 1960 1960 establishments in Maryland