AAAS is a nonprofit scientific society and publisher, founded in 1848, that publishes the journal Science and runs programmes in science policy, scientific communication and STEMM education.
Founded in 1848, AAAS is the first permanent organisation in the United States dedicated to advancing scientific development and today describes itself as the world's largest multidisciplinary scientific society. It operates as both a membership body and a publisher, serving more than 10 million individuals through its memberships, publications and programmes. Its stated mission is to advance science for the benefit of all people.
Central to the organisation's work is Science, the journal founded in 1880 with seed money from Thomas Edison and long associated with landmark scientific discoveries. Around it sits a wider portfolio of scientific publications and membership programmes that connect individuals to the broader scientific community.
Beyond publishing, AAAS runs programmes that support scientific communication, supply policymakers with objective scientific information and work to broaden participation in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine). Its activities span scientific publishing, science policy, STEMM education and multidisciplinary science, and are carried out nationally across the United States as a nonprofit professional society.
