In the 1970s, two academies were founded in Iran: The Academy of Iran’s Language (1970), and The Academy of Literature and Arts (1974). After the dawn of the Islamic Revolution, these academies merged into the newly established Institute of Cultural Studies and Research in 1981.

In brief, the insufficient support of authorities of the ex-regime, on the one hand, and the interference of duties of those academies on the other, militated against the attainment of some of their stated objectives.

The demand for creating responsive and supreme research institutions in the country was felt more than ever at the time. Having studied the strengths and drawbacks of the previous academies of Iran, as well as the achievements of the prestigious academies of the world, the experts developed the constitutions of the present academies of the Islamic Republic of Iran: The Academy of Sciences of the Islamic Republic of Iran (1988), the Academy of Persian Language and Literature (1990), the Academy of Medical Sciences (1991) and the Iran Academy of Arts (1999).

The main bodies of the Academy are: the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran in his capacity as the presidency, the Board of Trustees of the Academies of IR Iran, the General Assembly (consisting of the Academy’s Fellows), the President of the Academy, the Academic Council (President of the Academy and the chairs of the Academic Departments), the Secretary

There are three types of members in the Academy: Fellows (Full Members), Associate Fellows and Honorary Fellows.At present, the academy has 48 Fellows, 104 Associate Fellows and 4 Honorary Fellows.