Topic

Science & Technology

Strengthening the capacity of science and engineering to improve the human condition.

Featured Update

Night sky with stars and observatory.
Bulletin
|

Science and Creativity

A transcript from an interdisciplinary panel discussion on the importance of creativity in science, with participants highlighting how creativity and imagination fuel scientific discovery and how science inspires artistic expression. The conversation followed the presentation of the Rumford Prize to Andrea Ghez by Laurie Patton.
Science & Technology
Projects

Projects

A person sitting in a field with their arms around a dog on their right and a robot on their left.
Project
-

AI and Mental Health Care

This project convenes interdisciplinary experts to identify the grand challenges in digital mental health, including policy recommendations for ensuring that AI and other emerging technologies shape mental health diagnosis and treatment ethically and equitably.  

Chairs
Paul Dagum, Sherry Glied, and Alan I. Leshner
Project
-

Commission on Accelerating Climate Action

This multi-disciplinary Academy initiative is focused on the urgent global challenge of climate change and recommending meaningful actions to accelerate climate mitigation and adaptation strategies for all Americans.

Chairs
Mustafa Santiago Ali, Christopher Bower Field, David G. Victor, and Patricia Vincent-Collawn
Public Face of Science
Project
-

The Public Face of Science

The Public Face of Science project was dedicated to exploring the complex and evolving relationship between scientists and the public. This multi-year project engaged the expertise of a broad range of leaders in communication, law, humanities, the arts, journalism, public affairs, and the physical, social, and life sciences.

Chair
Richard Andrew Meserve
Project
-

ARISE II—Advancing Research In Science and Engineering: The Role of Academia, Industry, and Government in the 21st Century

The ARISE II project developed actionable recommendations to sustain a competitive U.S. research enterprise. This work was designed to foster new relationships across the disciplines and between the private and public sectors.

Chairs
Venkatesh Narayanamurti and Keith Robert Yamamoto
Project
-

Protecting the Internet as a Public Commons

The constantly evolving nature of the Internet raises questions about its use and security. This project investigated how the complex social issues of identity, access, and trust will affect the future of the Internet.

Chair
David D. Clark
Alternative Energy Future
Project
-

The Alternative Energy Future

The Alternative Energy Future project examines how to facilitate the adoption of cleaner and more efficient energy technologies using knowledge from the social and behavioral sciences.

Chairs
M. Granger Morgan and Maxine L. Savitz
ARISE
Project
-

ARISE: Advancing Research In Science and Engineering: Investing in Early-Career Scientists and High-Risk, High-Reward Research

The ARISE project and its resulting report sought to foster a new generation of scientists and stimulate innovation to generate competitive advantage in a global economy.

Chair
Thomas Robert Cech
Project
-

New Models for U.S. Science and Technology Policy

This project assembled recognized leaders from all sectors of science, engineering, and technology to recommend policy actions to help ensure the long-term sustainability of the U.S. science and engineering research enterprise.

Chairs
Norman R. Augustine and Neal Francis Lane
Public Trust in Vaccines
Project
-

Public Trust in Vaccines

This project analyzed public trust in vaccines from multiple disciplines to identify barriers to vaccine coverage, evaluate the role of the media in the public’s attitudes towards vaccines, and provide recommendations to improve the public’s trust in vaccines.

Chairs
Barry R. Bloom, Edgar Marcuse, and Seth Mnookin
Project
-

Challenges for International Scientific Partnerships

Challenges for International Scientific Partnerships aimed to articulate the benefits of international collaboration and recommend solutions to the most pressing challenges associated with the design and operation of partnerships. This initiative sought to identify policy recommendations and best practices to mitigate challenges for international science collaborations, including physical facilities, distributed networks, and peer-to-peer partnerships.

Chairs
Arthur I. Bienenstock and Peter F. Michelson
View more projects
Publications

Publications

Report|
OCT 2023

Forging Climate Solutions

In this final report, the Commission on Accelerating Climate Action calls for a coordinated, cross-sector effort to combat climate change with strategies and recommendations rooted in justice, pragmatism, and accountability.
Project
Commission on Accelerating Climate Action
Report|
FEB 2019

Encountering Science in America

This data-rich report highlights the range and diversity of opportunities for science-centered activities – from aquariums and zoos and science festivals to entertainment and news and social media – and provides insight into why people engage.
Project
The Public Face of Science
News

News & Updates

Aerial view of school children visiting a museum gallery.
Bulletin
|

Bridging the Gap Between Science and the Public

An exploratory meeting at the Academy brought together more than 20 participants - spanning the fields of science, technology, journalism, museum education, and law - to discuss how to bridge the gap between science and the public. They discussed changes in the science engagement landscape and the challenge of not only reaching people but also cutting through the noise and making them care.
Night sky with stars and observatory.
Bulletin
|

Science and Creativity

A transcript from an interdisciplinary panel discussion on the importance of creativity in science, with participants highlighting how creativity and imagination fuel scientific discovery and how science inspires artistic expression. The conversation followed the presentation of the Rumford Prize to Andrea Ghez by Laurie Patton.
Portrait of Andrea Ghez with photo credit to Nobel Foundation.
Press Release
|

Andrea M. Ghez, Renowned Astrophysicist, Receives Rumford Prize

Andrea Ghez – a Nobel laureate and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at UCLA – is receiving the Rumford Prize, a storied science award given by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is being honored pioneering research on the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy that has revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos.

Events

Events

Illustration with profiles of heads and variety of colors in an abstract motif.
Aug 11, 2025

What is Creativity in the Age of AI?

FeaturingHolly Case, Meghan O'Gieblyn, Laurie L. Patton, and Joanna Scott
Online
Jun 1, 2021

Exploring the Future of International Large-Scale Science

FeaturingArthur I. Bienenstock, E. William Colglazier, France A. Córdova, James W. Curran, Jonathan M. Dorfan, Kaye G. Husbands Fealing, Peter F. Michelson, and David W. Oxtoby
Online
Doug Soltis discusses the Tree of Life at an event held at the Academy in Cambridge, MA.
Mar 6, 2019

Building, Exploring, and Using the Tree of Life

FeaturingDouglas E. Soltis, Pamela S. Soltis, and Scott Vernon Edwards
Cambridge, MA
Transcript CopyCreated with Sketch.