2013 AAAS Annual Report
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The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest general scientic society, and publisher of the journal Science (www.sciencemag.org) as well as Science Translational Medicine (www.sciencetranslationalmedicine.org) and Science Signaling (www.sciencesignaling.org). AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes some 261 a liated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The non-prot AAAS (www.aaas.org) is open to all and fullls its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more. For the latest research news, log onto EurekAlert! (www.eurekalert.org), the premier science-news Web site, a service of AAAS. American Association for the Advancement of Science 1200 New York Avenue, NW • Washington, DC 20005 USA Tel: 202-326-6440 For more information about supporting AAAS, please e-mail developmento [email protected], or call 202-326-6636. On the cover: The mile-wide Margerie Glacier extends 21 miles upstream and stands 250 feet above the water’s surface, with a base submerged 100 feet below sea level. A tidewater glacier named for French geographer and geologist Emmanuel de Margerie (1862-1953), it moves from the mountains to the sea. Each year, more than 430,000 people engage with science by visiting Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, where the Margerie Glacier is located. Alan I. Leshner captured this photograph on 10 June 2011. [FSC MixedSources logo / Rainforest Alliance Certified / 100 percent green power logo] PRINTER WILL ADD Welcome Letter by William H. Press and Alan I. Leshner ................. 2 Public Statements on Key Issues ...................................................4 TABLE OF Media and Public Engagement ...................................................... 7 Science Diplomacy Worldwide .....................................................10 CONTENTS Science, Policy, and Society .........................................................13 Government Relations .................................................................16 Science, Technology, and Security Policy ......................................18 The Science Family of Journals .....................................................21 Improving Science Literacy ...........................................................25 Education, Outreach, and Careers ................................................27 AAAS Divisions ........................................................................... 29 Leaving a Legacy at AAAS ............................................................31 AAAS Awards and Prizes ..............................................................33 AAAS Fellows ............................................................................. 36 Acknowledgment of Contributors ................................................ 38 Financial Summary ..................................................................... 50 AAAS Board of Directors, Ocers, and Information....................... 51 WELCOME from the AAAS Chair, William H. Press, and the CEO, Alan I. Leshner Scientic shutdown interrupted critical research, discovery benets AAAS spoke up for science by emphasizing humanity by the importance of R&D investments, and generating through objective analysis of funding trends. technology and In February, AAAS organized a nationwide invention, which petition drive protesting sequestration, give rise to new and in October, the association contributed products, jobs, testimony at a U.S. Senate hearing on the industry, and devastating impacts of sweeping cuts to wealth. At the the American scientic enterprise. When same time, basic the social and behavioral sciences were research improves our world by enhancing singled out for cutbacks, AAAS teamed up the intellectual richness of society while with other leading institutions, delivering also driving innovation. The inherent beauty an intersociety letter to legislators on the and the practical benets of science make urgent need to address science-based clear why investment in the scientic problems such as drug addiction (see pages enterprise pays o, yielding new ideas that 4–6). Public and policymaker briengs by drive macroeconomic growth and promise AAAS meanwhile underscored the promise solutions to urgent global challenges—from of neuroscience, thanks to The Dana disease and food security, to global climate Foundation. change and water scarcity. Presidential Science Advisor John P. Transformative technologies such as the Holdren, appearing at the AAAS S&T Policy Internet, the Google page-rank algorithm, Forum, reinforced the call for a balanced magnetic resonance imaging, and lithium-ion portfolio of federal R&D investments. A batteries, as well as life-saving advances in proposal to narrow the range of projects cancer diagnosis and treatment, are only a supported by the National Research few examples of how science and technology Foundation “would throw the basic research have improved human welfare and the baby out with the bathwater,” Holdren economy. Moreover, while many of us would cautioned (page 14). Another Forum speaker, be pleased by a 5% return on any investment, Korean Presidential Advisor Jong-Guk Song studies have shown that basic research every reported that South Korea will spend 4% year oers a 20% to 60% annual rate of of its gross domestic product on science return on our investments. and technology while also increasing its Yet, between scal years 2010 and 2013, emphasis on basic research. the U.S. federal investment in research and AAAS work in 2013—reflecting the development dropped by 16.3% in constant increasing importance of international dollars—down to roughly 0.79% as a share of research collaboration to both speed the economy—its lowest level in 50 years. In advances and promote diplomacy—did not contrast, China’s investment in R&D from all stop at the U.S. borders. With a grant from sources, including government and private the Richard Lounsbery Foundation, as an sources, has increased by more than 400% example, AAAS supported a cooperative over the past decade, while South Korea’s eort between Western and North Korean has more than doubled. scientists to better understand Mount Paektu, As U.S. science agencies in 2013 suered a volcano that straddles China and the across-the-board budget cuts known as Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (pages “sequestration” and a federal government 10–12). Science & Diplomacy, published by 2 AAAS, provided a forum on topics such as This transformation initiative will expand the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS the association’s science communication Relief. The association’s Center for Science, capacity; strengthen engagement with Technology, and Security Policy organized members through advocacy and career many public discussions, including one on services; and position the Science family chemical weapons attacks in Syria, plus of journals as a leader in the dynamic, policymaker briengs to help inform science- multimedia landscape of the future. Already, security decisions. Science-focused eorts in AAAS has redesigned its website (www. the service of human rights took AAAS sta to aaas.org) and announced plans for the 2015 Africa, Europe, and elsewhere. launch of a new online-only, open-access Supporting the next generation of journal, Science Advances, which will serve scientists and engineers remains central to as an extended forum for the broadest the AAAS mission. In 2013, AAAS eorts in possible array of high-quality, peer-reviewed the educational realm included research- research (pages 21–24). based projects to improve the way that Remarkable scientic achievements in middle-school students learn science, 2013, from advances in cancer research new tools for teaching evolution, and to the experimental conrmation of professional-development conferences the Higgs-Boson particle, reminded us for hundreds of educators (25–28). The of the tremendous promise of science Science Careers website oered resources to improve our lives and expand our to help advance careers in science and knowledge. Through Science’s award- technology, and through the S&T Policy winning news team, as well as AAAS media Fellowships program, which celebrated its and public-engagement eorts (pages 40th anniversary in 2013, AAAS dispatched 7–9), the association strives to uphold another 279 scientists and engineers to key the public’s trust in the integrity of the service roles on Capitol Hill (page 13). scientic enterprise, and to speak up for As AAAS welcomed new Science Editor- the importance of science and scientists. in-Chief Marcia McNutt and News Editor We remain grateful for the support of many Tim Appenzeller, the Board of Directors researchers whose hard work and dedica- launched a comprehensive eort to make an tion exemplify the beauty and the benets already robust organization even stronger. of science. WIlliam H. Press Alan I. Leshner AAAS Chair (2013-2014) and AAAS CEO and Executive Publisher, Warren J. and Viola M. Raymer Professor Science, Science Translational Medicine in Computer Science and Integrative and Science Signaling Technology, University of Texas, Austin 3 The association in 2013 repeatedly urged adequate federal support PUBLIC for research and development, through testimony and letters to STATEMENTS policymakers, and by