American Association for the Advancement of Science

The American Association for the Advancement of Science, commonly known as AAAS, is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization devoted to advancing science and serving the scientific community. Founded in 1848, it is one of the oldest and broadest scientific organizations in the United States. Rather than representing a single discipline, AAAS operates across the natural, social, behavioral, engineering, and policy sciences through programs for research communication, science education, public engagement, workforce development, and science policy. AAAS is best known internationally as the publisher of Science, one of the world's leading multidisciplinary scientific journals. Science publishes original research, reviews, news, policy analysis, and commentary across a wide range of fields. The journal is a major part of the association's public identity, but AAAS is broader than its publishing operation. Its activities also include professional-development programs, fellowships, policy analysis, public-facing science communication, prizes, meetings, and initiatives intended to improve diversity and inclusion in science and engineering. A central part of the association's mission is connecting scientific evidence with public decision-making. AAAS has long worked with federal agencies, legislators, universities, and research institutions on issues such as research funding, scientific integrity, climate change, public health, education, and the science and engineering workforce. Its policy programs provide analysis and training for scientists who want to work in government, while its public-engagement activities seek to make scientific information more accessible to nonspecialist audiences. The organization also serves as a federation and convening platform for scientific societies and individual members. Through conferences, awards, communications, and professional programs, it promotes collaboration among disciplines and encourages the responsible conduct and communication of research. Initiatives such as the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships have helped place scientists and engineers in government offices, where they contribute technical expertise to policy development. AAAS is a nonprofit membership organization rather than a publicly traded company. Its principal brand assets are its scientific credibility, its institutional network, and the Science publication family. The association operates primarily from the United States while maintaining an international audience through its journals, digital publishing, scientific partnerships, policy work, and global readership. Its current role combines traditional learned-society functions with modern priorities including open and trustworthy science, research integrity, inclusion, science literacy, and the relationship between evidence and democratic governance.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science was established in 1848 during a period when scientific activity in the United States was becoming more organized but remained divided among local institutions and specialist groups. Its founders sought to create a national association that could bring scientists from different fields together, encourage communication, and promote the advancement of research. From the beginning, the organization was conceived as a broad, multidisciplinary society rather than a body limited to one scientific specialty. During the nineteenth century, AAAS became an important forum for scientific exchange in the United States. Its meetings and publications helped researchers communicate across disciplinary boundaries at a time when professional science was still developing. The association also contributed to the formation of a national scientific culture by recognizing research, supporting discussion of scientific questions, and providing a common institutional identity for scientists working in different regions and fields. The journal Science was founded in 1880 by John Michels, with financial support from Thomas Edison among others, and was later acquired by AAAS in 1900. Under AAAS ownership, Science developed into a major multidisciplinary research journal and eventually became the association's most recognizable publication. The journal's expansion strengthened AAAS's international reach and gave the organization a prominent platform for reporting scientific discoveries, discussing research policy, and addressing the relationship between science and society. Across the twentieth century, AAAS expanded beyond meetings and journal publishing. It developed programs related to science education, public understanding of science, scientific freedom, research policy, and communication between scientists and government. The association increasingly acted as an intermediary between the scientific community and policymakers, particularly as federal support for research grew and scientific expertise became more important to national decisions involving health, technology, the environment, defense, and education. AAAS's policy role became especially visible through programs that brought scientists and engineers into public service. The Science and Technology Policy Fellowships provided structured opportunities for researchers to work in congressional offices and federal agencies, helping fellows understand policymaking while giving government institutions access to technical expertise. The association also developed initiatives addressing scientific integrity, workforce development, diversity, and the participation of underrepresented groups in science and engineering. In the digital publishing era, AAAS broadened the Science brand with online distribution and additional publication formats, while continuing to operate as a nonprofit scientific society. Its activities now include research publishing, policy engagement, professional development, public communication, educational work, meetings, awards, and partnerships with scientific organizations. The association's contemporary identity rests on both its historical role as a convening society and its continuing effort to make scientific knowledge useful, credible, accessible, and relevant to public life.

• 2019

  Sudip S. Parikh becomes chief executive

  [2]AAAS Leadershipaaas.org

  Sudip S. Parikh assumes leadership as AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher.

• 1973

  Science and Technology Policy Fellowships begin

  [4]AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowshipsfellowship.aaas.org

  AAAS launches its fellowship program placing scientists and engineers in government offices to contribute expertise to public policy.

• 1900

  AAAS acquires Science

  [3]Science journal history and informationscience.org

  AAAS takes ownership of Science and develops it as a major multidisciplinary scientific journal.

• 1880

  Science is established

  [3]Science journal history and informationscience.org

  The journal Science is founded by John Michels, creating the publication that would later become AAAS's principal publishing property.

• 1848

  AAAS is founded

  [1]About AAASaaas.org

  The association is established as a national, multidisciplinary organization intended to promote scientific cooperation and advancement in the United States.

A multidisciplinary nonprofit learned society and science-policy organization whose public profile is anchored by the Science journal and whose broader mission is to connect scientific research, professional communities, education, public engagement, and government policy.

• Scientific journal · 1880

  Science

  Science is AAAS's flagship multidisciplinary research journal. It publishes original research articles, reviews, news, analysis, and commentary across the sciences. Its editorial coverage spans fields including biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, social science, and related areas. The publication is distributed in print and digitally and serves both specialist researchers and a wider audience interested in scientific developments and policy.

• Science-policy fellowship · 1973

  AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships

  The fellowship program places scientists and engineers in congressional offices and federal agencies for policy-focused assignments. It is designed to give researchers practical experience with government decision-making while helping public institutions use scientific and technical expertise. The program is part of AAAS's broader effort to connect research communities with policymaking.

• Scientific conference

  AAAS annual meeting

  The annual meeting convenes researchers, educators, policymakers, journalists, and members of the public around interdisciplinary scientific presentations and discussions. Its program typically combines research sessions with debates about science policy, education, communication, ethics, and the role of science in society.

• Scientific recognition

  AAAS awards and recognition programs

  AAAS administers awards and recognition programs that honor contributions to scientific research, public engagement, education, policy, and service to the scientific community. These programs support the association's role as a cross-disciplinary institution and reinforce its emphasis on communicating science beyond specialist audiences.

• 1900

  Acquisition of ScienceM&A

  Background

  AAAS sought to strengthen its role in scientific communication and acquired the already established journal Science.

  Action taken

  The association took ownership of Science and incorporated the journal into its nonprofit publishing and learned-society activities.

  Aftermath

  Science became AAAS's flagship publication and a major source of the association's international visibility.

  Source

1. 1About AAASaaas.org
2. 2AAAS Leadershipaaas.org
3. 3Science journal history and informationscience.org
4. 4AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowshipsfellowship.aaas.org