Institute of Biological Problems of the North is one the youngest in the system of Russian Academy of Sciences. Its history starts with the organization of the Department of Biological Problems of the North as a division of the North-East Complex Scientific Research Institute (NECSRI), Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences (SB USSRAS) in 1968. It was in the beginning of 1966 when the Director of the North-East Complex Scientific Research Institute, Academician N. A. Shilo made a suggestion to establish in Magadan Institute of Physiology of Labour, which was supported by Academicians Ye. M. Kreps, V. N. Chernigovski, A. D. Slonim, and by Corresponding Member D. K. Belyajev. Later, under the influence of Dr. of Biology Nikolaj Vorontsov the initial idea was altered and it was suggested to establish Institute of Common Biology and of Physiology of Labour. Finally, it turned out that biologists (zoologists and botanists) are more "brisk" and unlike physiologists are ready to leave for Magadan. That's how, in 1968 the Presidium of Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences (SB USSRAS) passed the Resolution on promotion of biological researches in the northern territories of Siberia and Far East. Within the frameworks of the Resolution it was preplanned to establish Institute of Biological Problems of the North in Magadan. Creation of the Department of Biological Problems of the North as a division of the North-East Complex Scientific Research Institute (NECSRI) was the first stage of it. The Head of the Department became Vitautas Leonovich Kontrimavichus, the follower of Academician K. I. Skryabin who was the founder of the Soviet Helminthology.

A group of scholars from the Institute of Biology at SB USSRAS (Yakutsk), including a well-known zoologist, Dr. of Biology, O. V. Yegorov, who studied fauna of Siberia and Far East, formed the Department research team. The Department included two laboratories: the laboratory of Zoology and Parasitology and the laboratory of Phisiology with the personnel of 17 scholars. Gradually, research areas expanded and personnel of the Department increased, and by the time of foundation of the Institute (February 1, 1972) the Department included 9 laboratories and two research groups with the personnel of 110 scholars.

At first the staff of the institute increased mainly due to the specialists who arrived in Magadan from the central parts of the country. At the same time young specialists were enrolled to the post graduate courses, defended dissertations. By 1983 the scientific staff of the institute defended 4 dissertation for the degree of Dr. of Science and 21 dissertations for the degree of Cand. of Science (during the years since the establishment of the institute its scientific staff defended 20 dissertation for the degree of Dr. of Science and 70 dissertations for the degree of Cand. of Science). By the way, the majority of today's heads of the laboratories are former Junior Staff Scientists, post graduate students and Senior Laboratory Assistants of the seventies. That's how, during a short period of time a team of biologists, whose works later won the recognition not only in Russia but also abroad, was created in the Far North-East.