Employer Accreditation for Chartered Biologist Award
Employer Accreditation enables organisations working in the biosciences to assess employees for professional registration in-house, and nominate successful candidates directly to the Royal Society of Biology for Chartered Biologist status.
Chartered Biologist (CBiol) is a gold-standard for professional competence, providing a benchmark for bioscientists working in a vast and continually growing variety of settings. Gaining CBiol status shows that individuals are making an impact in their role, contributing to their organisation and utilising highly developed biological skills. It also demonstrates a dedication to continuing professional development.
For detailed requirements and guidance, please refer to the Employer Accreditation Handbook.
Employing Chartered professionals benefits your organisation by:
- Verifying that you employ dedicated, experienced, and competent biologists with a place on the searchable CBiol directory and postnominal letters.
- Demonstrating your commitment to the highest level of ethical standards, industry best practices, and relevant codes of conduct.
- Enhancing reputation and providing quality assurance for clients.
- Ensuring employees remain up-to-date with industry trends through continuing professional development (CPD).
Employing Chartered professionals benefits your employees by:
- Giving access to a professional network of committed biologists and relevant discussions, groups, and committees.
- Providing updates and invites to events, training, and news for those in your field.
- Furthering careers: combine registration with access to RSB training and our CPD programme to help career progression.
Employer Accreditation supports organisations to:
- Embed professional standards in career development pathways.
- Provide clear progression routes for employees.
- Recognise and reward professional development and achievement.
- Strengthen mentoring, assessment, and leadership capability.
- Demonstrate commitment to ethics, quality, and professionalism.
Accreditation also supports a consistent, transparent approach to professional recognition across the organisation.
Accredited employers have control over the award process, including:
- Appointing and maintaining a pool of assessors.
- Providing mentoring support for employees seeking CBiol registration.
- Assessing applications against register requirements.
- Submitting nominations for successful candidates to the RSB.
The RSB provides oversight through quality assurance checks and audits to ensure that professional standards are maintained.
Employer Accreditation is open to organisations that:
- Operate within the biosciences, or employ professionals with a bioscience background.
- Share values aligned with the RSB’s Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct.
- Have capacity to support mentoring, assessment, and CPD.
Employer Accreditation is awarded for an initial five year period, with periodic audits required to maintain accreditation.
Accreditation fees are discounted for RSB Member Organisations. Further information on fees is set out in the Employer Accreditation Handbook. Individual membership and registration costs are indicated on the membership and professional registration webpages.
Applications for Employer Accreditation should clearly demonstrate how the organisation meets the requirements of the scheme.
Before applying, organisations are strongly advised to read the Employer Accreditation Handbook, which includes:
- Detailed guidance on each application section.
- Examples and templates.
- An application checklist.
Please submit your application by email to registers@rsb.org.uk If you would like to discuss Employer Accreditation or have questions about eligibility, please contact the Registers team.
Find out more about organisational membership