Call for Grand Challenges in Computational Biology

ISCB 30TH ANNIVERSARY INITIATIVE

Criteria Submission format Timeline Who can contribute

CALL FOR GRAND CHALLENGES IN COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY

What can’t we answer yet?

In 2027 ISCB turns 30. To mark it, we are asking the community to name the grand challenge questions that should shape computational biology over the next 5, 10 and 20 years.

Submit up to three questions Read the criteria

30

years of ISCB, 1997–2027

30

grand challenges to be selected

3

questions maximum per person

Dec 1

submissions close, 2026

Not a list of fashionable topics.

Over three decades, computational biology has grown from an emerging discipline into a central part of modern biology and biomedicine. New technologies, unprecedented datasets, advances in AI, and increasingly sophisticated experimental and computational systems are transforming what we can observe, model and understand.

Yet, many of the most important questions in biology remain unanswered. We want the important challenge questions we still cannot answer, but should be able to within the next 5, 10 or 20 years. For questions in biology and medicine, the role of computational biology should be prominent.

What makes a good challenge question?

i.

Fundamental

Addresses an important gap in our understanding of biological systems, or in our technology for biology and medicine.

ii.

Open

No convincing answer or promising solution exists yet.

iii.

Transformative

Answering it could substantially change biology, medicine, or computational science and technology.

iv.

Actionable

Progress toward an answer could stimulate new research directions.

v.

Forward-looking

The kind of question that may define the field over the next 5– 20 years.

Any area of the field

Molecular, cellular, organismal, evolutionary, ecological, medical and population biology; biological data and computation; AI and machine learning; theoretical, quantitative and systems biology; experimental–computational integration; and the societal, ethical and policy dimensions of computational biology. We particularly welcome questions that cross disciplinary boundaries or challenge assumptions about what computational biology can and should do.

The anatomy of a submission

Every question is submitted by an individual, under their own name. Each person may submit up to three.

The questionOne sentence

About youName, title, institution, brief bio

Why, and to whom, does it matter?150–200 words

What do we know today?100–200 words

What would it take to answer it?Optional, under 100 words

What would success look like?50–100 words

Estimated time horizon5, 10 or 20 years

KeywordsUp to 5, for sorting

From your question to ISMB 2027

NOW OPEN

Call for submissions

1 DEC 2026

Submissions close

DEC–JAN

Taskforce review and selection

FEB–APR 2027

Write-up and journal submission

MAY–JUL 2027

Publication

JULY 2027

Release at ISMB 2027

Who can contribute

The call is open to the whole ISCB community: researchers at every career stage, students, educators, industry scientists, and researchers from neighbouring disciplines. Submissions come from individuals, not groups or organizations.

What happens next

A Taskforce of about ten scientists, led by Xuegong Zhang and Predrag Radivojac, will review and consolidate the submissions into “30 Grand Challenges in Computational Biology,” published as a special ISCB 30th Anniversary Perspective.

Authorship

Your name is required on each submission. Question authors will be acknowledged as a group; refinement of the questions may include specific authors at the discretion of the Executive Committee and Taskforce.

SUBMISSIONS CLOSE 1 DECEMBER 2026

Help write the next thirty years.

Submit your question