The Banff International Research Station hosts five types of meetings: The core program of 5-day workshops is created two years in advance.

Every summer, BIRS issues a Call for Proposals, soliciting applications for workshops from the global scientific community.

[7] As part of the Banff Centre campus, BIRS researchers have full access to all of its amenities and services.

[8] In 2012, the Banff International Research Station installed a fully automated lecture capture system.

The automated system at BIRS employs high quality cameras to ensure that mathematics written on chalkboards can be seen clearly.