 | |
| Abbreviation | AAAS |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation |
|
| Founded | September 20, 1848 (177 years ago) (1848-09-20) |
| Focus | Science education andoutreach |
| Location | |
| Members | 120,000+ |
| Website | www |
Formerly called | Association of American Geologists and Naturalists |
TheAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation amongscientists, defendingscientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supportingscientific education andscience outreach for the betterment of all humanity.[1] AAAS was the first permanent organization established to promote science and engineering nationally and to represent the interests of American researchers from across all scientific fields.[1] It is the world's largest general scientific society, with over 120,000 members,[2] and is the publisher of the well-known scientific journalScience.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science was created on September 20, 1848, at theAcademy of Natural Sciences inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania. It was a reformation of the Association of American Geologists and Naturalists with the broadened mission to be the first permanent organization to promote science and engineering nationally and to represent the interests of American researchers from across all scientific fields[3][4] The society choseWilliam Charles Redfield as their first president[5] because he had proposed the most comprehensive plans for the organization. According to the first constitution which was agreed to at the September 20 meeting, the goal of the society was to promote scientific dialogue in order to allow for greater scientific collaboration.[6] By doing so, the association aimed to use resources to conduct science with increased efficiency and allow for scientific progress at a greater rate.[7] The association also sought to increase the resources available to the scientific community through active advocacy of science. There were only 78 members when the AAAS was formed.[8] As a member of the new scientific body,Matthew Fontaine Maury,USN was one of those who attended the first 1848 meeting.[9]
At a meeting held on Friday afternoon, September 22, 1848, Redfield presided, and Matthew Fontaine Maury gave a full scientific report on hisWind and Current Charts. Maury stated that hundreds of ship navigators were now sending abstract logs of their voyages to theUnited States Naval Observatory. He added, "Never before was such a corps of observers known."[8]But, he pointed out to his fellow scientists, his critical need was for more "simultaneous observations". "The work," Maury stated, "is not exclusively for the benefit of any nation or age". The minutes of the AAAS meeting reveal that because of the universality of this "view on the subject, it was suggested whether the states of Christendom might not be induced to cooperate with their Navies in the undertaking; at least so far as to cause abstracts of their log-books and sea journals to be furnished to Matthew F. Maury, USN, at the Naval Observatory atWashington."[citation needed]
William Barton Rogers, professor at theUniversity of Virginia and later founder of theMassachusetts Institute of Technology, offered a resolution: "Resolved that a Committee of five be appointed to address a memorial to theSecretary of the Navy, requesting his further aid in procuring for Matthew Maury the use of the observations ofEuropean and other foreign navigators, for the extension and perfecting of his charts of winds and currents." The resolution was adopted and, in addition to Rogers, the following members of the association were appointed to the committee: ProfessorJoseph Henry of Washington; Professor Benjamin Peirce of Cambridge, Massachusetts; Professor James H. Coffin of Easton, Pennsylvania, and Professor Stephen Alexander ofPrinceton, New Jersey.[10] This was scientific cooperation, and Maury went back to Washington with great hopes for the future.
In 1850, the first female members were accepted:astronomerMaria Mitchell andentomologistMargaretta Morris. Science educatorAlmira Hart Lincoln Phelps was elected in 1859.
By 1860, membership increased to over 2,000. Although the AAAS became dormant during theAmerican Civil War (their August 1861 meeting inNashville, Tennessee, was postponed indefinitely after the outbreak of the first major engagement of the war atBull Run), the association recovered after the end of the hostilities.[11]
In 1866,Frederick Barnard presided over the first meeting of the resurrected AAAS at a meeting inNew York City. Following the revival of the AAAS, the group had considerable growth. The AAAS permitted all people, regardless of scientific credentials, to join. The AAAS did, however, institute a policy of granting the title of "Fellow of the AAAS" to well-respected scientists within the organization.
At the same time, the recovered AAAS faced competition from several newly establishedlearned societies, such asNational Academy of Sciences (founded in 1863), theAmerican Chemical Society (1876),Archaeological Institute of America (1879),Modern Language Association (1883),American Historical Association (1884),Geological Society of America (1888),National Geographic Society (1888),American Physical Society (1899), which drew away some of AAAS members. Also, the reputation of the AAAS was somewhat tarnished, because its 3rd presidentAlexander Dallas Bache used the Society as a lobbying tool for his agency, theUS Coast Survey. Several prominent scientists lost interest in the AAAS, and the society's influence declined.[12]
The next turning point in the AAS history was the partnership with journalScience, which became the society's official publication in 1900,[13] and provided the AAAS with some revenue through subscription and advertising. The AAAS become the sole owner ofScience in 1946. The post–World War IIbig science, driven by major scientific and technical breakthroughs (such asspace flight,nuclear power and thediscovery ofDNA) brought in an increased public interest in science in the USA, and thus growing sales of the journal, which were further multiplied by shrewd businesses decisions by its editorsDael Wolfle (1954-1970) andWilliam D. Carey (1974-1985).[12] Another important event for the society was the establishment of its Congressional Fellowship program[14] in 1973, which was kick-started by a US$10,000 donation fromWilliam T. Golden.[12]
Alan I. Leshner, AAAS CEO from 2001 until 2015, published many op-ed articles discussing how many people integrate science and religion in their lives. He has opposed the insertion of non-scientific content, such ascreationism orintelligent design, into the scientific curriculum of schools.[15][16][17][18]
In December 2006, the AAAS adopted an official statement onclimate change, in which they stated, "The scientific evidence is clear: global climate change caused by human activities is occurring now, and it is a growing threat to society....The pace of change and the evidence of harm have increased markedly over the last five years. The time to controlgreenhouse gas emissions is now."[19]
In February 2007, the AAAS usedsatellite images to documenthuman rights abuses inBurma.[20] The next year, AAAS launched the Center for Science Diplomacy to advance both science and the broader relationships among partner countries, by promotingscience diplomacy and international scientific cooperation.[21]
In 2012, AAAS published op-eds,[22] held events onCapitol Hill and released analyses of the U.S. federal research-and-development budget, to warn that a budget sequestration would have severe consequences for scientific progress.[23][24]
AAAS covers various areas[25] of sciences and engineering. It has 24 sections, each with a committee and its chair.[26] These committees are also entrusted with the annual evaluation and selection ofFellows. The sections are:
The most recent Constitution of the AAAS, enacted on January 1, 1973, establishes that the governance of the AAAS is accomplished through four entities: a President, a group of administrative officers, a Council, and a board of directors.
Individuals elected to the presidency of the AAAS hold a three-year term in a unique way. The first year is spent aspresident-elect, the second aspresident and the third aschairperson of theboard of directors. In accordance with the convention followed by the AAAS, presidents are referenced by the year in which they left office.
Geraldine Richmond is the president of AAAS for 2015–16;Phillip Sharp is the board chair; andBarbara A. Schaal is the president-elect.[27] Each took office on the last day of the 2015 AAAS Annual Meeting in February 2015.[28][29] On the last day of the 2016 AAAS Annual Meeting, February 15, 2016,[30] Richmond will become the chair, Schaal will become the president, and a new president-elect will take office.
Past presidents of AAAS have included some of the most important scientific figures of their time. Among them: explorer and geologistJohn Wesley Powell (1888); astronomer and physicistEdward Charles Pickering (1912); anthropologistMargaret Mead (1975); and biologistStephen Jay Gould (2000).
Notable presidents of the AAAS, 1848–2005
There are three classifications of high-level administrative officials that execute the basic, daily functions of the AAAS. These are theexecutive officer, thetreasurer and then each of the AAAS's section secretaries. The current CEO of AAAS and executive publisher ofScience magazine is Sudip Parikh.[31] The current Editor in Chief of Science magazine is Holden Thorp.[32]
The AAAS has 24 "sections" with each section being responsible for a particular concern of the AAAS. There are sections foragriculture, anthropology,astronomy,atmospheric science,biological science, chemistry,dentistry,education, engineering, general interest in science and engineering, geology andgeography, thehistory and philosophy of science,technology,computer science, linguistics,mathematics,medical science,neuroscience,pharmaceutical science,physics,psychology, science and human rights,social andpolitical science, the social impact of science and engineering, andstatistics.[33]
AAAS affiliates include 262 societies andacademies of science, serving more than 10 million members, from theAcoustical Society of America to theWildlife Society, as well as non-mainstream groups like theParapsychological Association.[34]
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The council is composed of the members of the Board of Directors, the retiring section chairmen, elected delegates and affiliated foreign council members. Among the elected delegates there are always at least two members from the National Academy of Sciences and one from each region of the country. The President of the AAAS serves as the Chairperson of the council. Members serve the council for a term of three years.
The council meets annually to discuss matters of importance to the AAAS. They have the power to review all activities of the Association, elect new fellows, adopt resolutions, propose amendments to the Association's constitution and bylaws, create new scientific sections, and organize and aid local chapters of the AAAS. The Council recently[when?] has new additions to it from different sections which include many youngsters as well. John Kerry of Chicago is the youngest American in the council and Akhil Ennamsetty of India is the youngest foreign council member.
The board of directors is composed of a chairperson, the president, and the president-elect along with eight elected directors, the executive officer of the association and up to two additional directors appointed by elected officers. Members serve a four-year term except for directors appointed by elected officers, who serve three-year terms.
The current chairman isGerald Fink, Margaret and Herman Sokol Professor at Whitehead Institute, MIT. Fink will serve in the post until the end of the 2016 AAAS Annual Meeting,[35] 15 February 2016.[36] (The chairperson is always the immediate past-president of AAAS.)
The board of directors has a variety of powers and responsibilities. It is charged with the administration of all association funds, publication of a budget, appointment of administrators, proposition of amendments, and determining the time and place of meetings of the national association. The board may also speak publicly on behalf of the association. The board must also regularly correspond with the council to discuss their actions.
The AAAS council elects every year, its members who are distinguished scientifically,[37] to the grade of fellow (FAAAS). Election to AAAS is an honor bestowed by their peers and elected fellows are presented with a certificate and rosette pin. To limit the effects and tolerance of sexual harassment in the sciences, starting 15 October 2018, a Fellow's status can be revoked "in cases of proven scientific misconduct, serious breaches of professional ethics, or when the Fellow in the view of the AAAS otherwise no longer merits the status of Fellow."[38]
Formal meetings of the AAAS are numbered consecutively, starting with the first meeting in 1848. Meetings were not held 1861–1865 during the American Civil War, and also 1942–1943 duringWorld War II. Since 1946, one meeting has occurred annually, now customarily in February.
Each year, the AAAS gives out a number of honorary awards, most of which focus onscience communication, journalism, and outreach – sometimes in partnership with other organizations. The awards recognize "scientists, journalists, and public servants for significant contributions to science and to the public's understanding of science".[39] The awards are presented each year at the association's annual meeting.
In addition to the aforementionedFellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science program, AAAS offers a similarly-sounding but completely unrelatedAAAS Policy Fellowship Programs, which providePh.D. scientists andM.S. engineers with opportunities to serve in the federal government. These policy fellows spend one or two years working for the executive (130 positions), legislative (5 positions) or judicial (1 position) branches.[40][41]
The society's flagship publication isScience, a weekly interdisciplinaryscientific journal. Otherpeer-reviewed journals published by the AAAS in the "Science family of journals" areScience Signaling,Science Translational Medicine,Science Immunology,Science Robotics and the interdisciplinaryScience Advances.[42][43] They also publish the non-peer-reviewedScience & Diplomacy. The society previously published the review journalScience Books & Films (SB&F).AAAS also publishes on behalf of other organizations through the Science Partner Journals (SPJ) program, with a focus on online-only open access journals.[44]
SciLine is a philanthropically funded and editorially independent service for journalists and scientists.[45] Its launch was announced in an October 27, 2017 article inScience[46] by founding director Rick Weiss, former communications chief at theWhite House Office of Science and Technology Policy and science reporter at theWashington Post.[47] Its stated mission is to increase the amount and quality of research-backed evidence in news stories by connecting U.S. journalists to scientists and to validated scientific information.[48]
Reporters in the United States can access SciLine's services, which include expert-matching, general media briefings, expert quote sheets, and quick fact sheets. As of July 2021, SciLine had fulfilled approximately 2,000 requests from 650 journalists through its expert-matching service.[49]
SciLine's financial supporters include the Quadrivium Foundation, theChan Zuckerberg Initiative, theJohn S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Rita Allen Foundation, and theHeinz Endowments. AAAS provides in-kind support.[50]
In 1996,[51] AAAS launched theEurekAlert! website, an editorially independent nonprofit news release distribution service[52] covering all areas of science, medicine and technology.[53][54][55] EurekAlert! provides news in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese,[56][54] and, from 2007, in Chinese.[57]
Working staff journalists and freelancers who meet eligibility guidelines can access the latest studies before publication and obtain embargoed information in compliance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission'sRegulation Fair Disclosure policy.[58][59] By early 2018, more than 14,000 reporters from more than 90 countries have registered for free access to embargoed materials. More than 5,000 active public information officers from 2,300 universities, academic journals, government agencies, and medical centers are credentialed to provide new releases to reporters and the public through the system.[51][57][52]
In 1998, European science organizations countered Eurekalert! with a press release distribution serviceAlphaGalileo.[54]
EurekAlert! has fallen under criticism for lack of press release standards[60] and for generatingchurnalism.[61][62][63][64]
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