The International Primatological Society (IPS) was created to encourage all areas of non-human primatological scientific research, to facilitate cooperation among scientists of all nationalities engaged in primate research, and to promote the conservation of all primate species. IPS is the world’s leading international scientific society dedicated to primatology.
IPS serves its membership through a biennial international congress (the next, the 30th, will be held in Antananarivo, Madagascar, in July 2026, with plenary speakers including IPS President Jonah Ratsimbazafy, Fabiano Melo, Patricia Wright, Joerg Ganzhorn, and a memorial talk for Judith Masters and Fabien Génin). The society publishes the International Journal of Primatology (IJP) in partnership with Springer, presents awards for outstanding contributions to the field (including the Charles Southwick Conservation Education Award, recently awarded to Professor Ronald E. Sánchez Porras), and produces policy statements on issues affecting primates and their habitats — such as its recent statement on plastic pollution in primate habitats.
IPS supports early-career primatologists through the IPS Conference Tips for First-Timers program, published in English, French, and Spanish, and offers membership categories for individuals and institutions. The society operates on a global scale, with members and research communities in every region where primates are studied.
