The International Society of Psychiatric Genetics is a learned society

Learned society

A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...

 that aims to "promote and facilitate research in the genetics of psychiatric disorders

Psychiatric genetics

Psychiatric genetics, a subfield of behavioral neurogenetics, studies the role of genetics in psychological conditions such as alcoholism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism. The basic principle behind psychiatric genetics is that genetic polymorphisms, as indicated by linkage to e.g...

, substance use disorder

Substance use disorder

Substance use disorders include substance abuse and substance dependence. In DSM-IV, the conditions are formally diagnosed as one or the other, but it has been proposed that DSM-5 combine the two into a single condition called "Substance-use disorder"....

s and allied traits". To this end, among other things, it organizes an annual "World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics". It also awards each year the "Ming Tsuang Lifetime Achievement Award" for scientists who have made major contributions to the field of psychiatric genetics and the "Theodore Reich Young Investigator Award" for work of exceptional merit by researchers under 40 years of age.