American Association For The Advancement Of Science

Catalyzing progress where science meets policy:aaas provides actionable evidence for public policy that serves society and engenders quality science. Aaas will leverage its seat at the table to ensure the voice of science is heard and deliver evidence that is solutions-oriented, relevant, and actionable.providing timely expertise on aias the global impact of artificial intelligence grew in 2024 with new applications across every sector and with increased interest from policymakers on capitol hill, aaas kicked off a second cohort of science & technology policy fellow in 2024. The ai cohort, representing a wide range of scientists and engineers with ai-relevant experience, are serving across u.s. Senate offices and committees on both sides of the aisle as they craft legislation and address critical topics at the intersection of ai and policy.advising regional and local policy with evidencethrough years of network and partnership building, the aaas center for scientific evidence in public issues (epi center) has become a go-to source of reliable, unbiased information to help decision-makers design and implement effective and equitable policy solutions. Since 2020, the epi center has been engaging with local, state and federal decision-makers to ensure they have access to and understand the scientific evidence related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or pfas, a group of chemicals found in drinking water. Placing scientists and engineers in government for 50 yearsthe aaas science & technology policy fellowship program (stpf) ushered in its 51st class in the fall of 2024, placing nearly 250 fellows throughout the u.s. Government to share their expertise and help inform, communicate, and implement policy solutions. A trusted resource for analysis on federal r&d fundingaaas is a leading source for data and timely analysis of trends in u.s. Federal research and development (r&d) funding. Since 1976, we have served as a go-to resource for those seeking to understand long-term changes and recent policy developments affecting federal science budgets. Each year we analyze the u.s. President's budget request, monitor congressional debates and bills, and keep an eye on longer-term r&d budget trends in the united states and in other countries to provide timely and objective information and perspectives for policymakers and the science and engineering community.golden goose award celebrating breakthrough innovations the golden goose awards, founded by aaas and other organizations, recognize federally funded basic science investigations that may have sounded odd but have resulted in considerable benefits to society. Since its inception in 2012, the award has honored more than 70 researchers for breakthroughs deriving from sources as wide-ranging and seemingly obscure as horseshoe crab blood and rat massage. In 2024, awards celebrated advances in artificial intelligence, ecology and conservation.

Fostering inclusivity for scientific excellence: aaas believes that a scientific enterprise that is reflective of the society it serves is essential to powering progress, innovation and widespread prosperity. Aaas supports career pathways by galvanizing a cross-sector movement to tap our rich talent pool and by demonstrating the capacity-building benefits of broadening access to stemm education and career development. Supporting and expanding the stemm workforcelaunched in 2022, the stemm (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, & medicine) opportunity alliance (soa) has embarked on a decades-long initiative to propel the u.s. Stemm community to reach its greatest potential, which will accelerate economic development, innovation and prosperity for all americans. In 2024, soa unveiled a community-developed national strategy that will help build the capacity of organizations and institutions to add 20 million new stemm workers from every background to the u.s. Economy by 2050. Another way aaas supports critical stemm pathways is through its sea change initiative. The program supports continuous improvement in stemm at u.s. Higher education institutions by ensuring a wide array of talented individuals-across backgrounds and lived experiences-can contribute fully to their fields. Colleges and universities and the departments within them use sea change to build environments where creativity, innovation and talent can flourish unimpeded by barriers. Mass media science & engineering fellowships and elevating diverse voices the aaas mass media science & engineering fellowship and the aaas diverse voices in science journalism program allow scientists and students to spend their summer as science journalists in newsrooms across the united states. Now in its 50th year, the mass media fellowship has placed nearly 900 scientists and engineers. 20 mass media fellows were sponsored by a scientific society or foundation in 2024 and two diverse voices in science journalism interns spent the summer covering news stories for science.

Building trust among scientists and communities: aaas mobilizes our members and the broader scientific enterprise to foster relationships of mutual trust with key groups such as journalists, policymakers, judges, and faith communities as a productive path to address misinformation.supporting evidence-informed news reportingsciline, an editorially independent, nonpartisan free service that works with u.s. Journalists to incorporate scientific evidence and expertise into news stories, continues to deliver on our commitment to share accurate and trustworthy science with the public. To encourage reporters to incorporate accurate information in their stories, ahead of the 2024 election in the u.s., sciline hosted a special series of media briefings that addressed the science behind hot-button election topics including the economy, climate and energy, immigration, reproductive health, crime and safety, and voting integrity to over 160 reporters representing outlets in 44 states. The team also provided free media training for more than 1,300 scientists in 2024 as well as several other educational opportunities. Shifting dialogue with religious communitiesthe aaas dialogue on science, ethics, and religion (doser) program is one of the few long-term projects in the united states committed to building trust and fostering engagement between scientific and religious communities. In 2024, doser partnered with science for the church to increase the reach of a series of faith-based curricula intended to spark conversations in seminary classrooms and between faith leaders and congregants on themes around the history of the "conflict" between science and religion, awe and wonder in the universe, and the connections of all life. Doser also launched a four-year program called "science engagement for congregational flourishing" to bring science engagement into congregations through continuing education for clergy and mini grants for congregational projects. Pursuing justice, building trustthe aaas center for scientific responsibility and justice (srj) fosters collaboration among scientists and judges to enhance their understanding and application of scientific principles and evidence within the legal system. Srj aims to expand judicial access to scientific information and education and provides scientists and engineers with opportunities to develop the professional skills and knowledge they need to engage effectively with the judiciary. Beginning in 2024, srj began developing resources to support judges as they continue to respond to the challenges brought on by the supreme court's overturning of the principle known as the chevron doctrine. Mobilizing scientists and engineers at the local levelaaas' local science engagement network aims to bridge the gap between science and local decision-making and build relationships of trust before a challenge of crises takes place. Last year, the inaugural class of lsen liaisons in maine, western north carolina, the north carolina research triangle, puerto rico, utah and west virginia began their work building local cohorts of scientists and engineers, called lsen advocates. In 2024 alone, a total of 944 lsen participants joined local networks, events and activities.building bridges through science diplomacysince the cold war, aaas has championed science diplomacy to build trust between nations with and without u.s. Diplomatic relations, with a special eye toward nations with conflicting politics or few collaborations. Last year, our international and science diplomacy programs led vigorous efforts to strengthen relationships between the scientific and foreign affairs communities in cuba and other countries. Additionally, the team engages regularly with countries that are investing significantly in research and development (r&d) to encourage cross-country opportunities for collaboration and to foster shared values in scientific integrity.