AAAS established the Office of Government Relations in July 1994. Funded by a grant from the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund, the Office provides timely, objective information to Congress on current science and technology issues and assists the science and engineering community in understanding and working with Congress.

HEADLINES

AAAS and Affiliates Send Letter to Congress Regarding GSA Travel Restrictions
On May 18, 2012, AAAS and affiliates sent letters to the House and the Senate to express concern regarding amendments that would place severe restrictions on government employees' abilities to attend meetings and conferences.

AAAS Sends Letter to Congress Regarding Funding of NSF Political Science Research
In response to an amendment seeking to eliminate funding to NSF political science research, AAAS sent letters in support of these important programs to the House and the Senate.

March 2012 issue of Science and Technology in Congress now available

AAAS Participates in Climate Science Day
February 1 marked the second annual Climate Science Day, an opportunity for scientists of many disciplines to visit Capitol Hill and meet with members of Congress to discuss climate science. The event was a joint effort of the intersociety Climate Science Working Group, which comprises a dozen scientific professional societies and research organizations, including AAAS.

AAAS Issues Statement on Research Works Act
On January 18, AAAS reaffirmed its support for the current public access policy of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), stating that it does not endorse the Research Works Act, which would prevent NIH from requiring its grantees to make biomedical research findings freely available via the National Library of Medicine's Web site.

AAAS Comments on Public Access
On January 12, AAAS responded to a Request for Information by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on public access to peer-reviewed publications resulting from federally-funded research.

January 2012 issue of Science and Technology in Congress now available

AAAS Expresses Concerns Over GRANT Act
On December 20, AAAS sent a letter to leaders of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee detailing its concerns with the Grant Reform and New Transparency Act of 2011.

AAAS Sends Congress Letter Regarding OSTP Budget
In a November 8 letter, AAAS CEO Alan I. Leshner, expressed “grave concerns regarding the prospect of a 50 percent reduction in the budget of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP),” as proposed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Intersociety Letter Reminds Congress of Importance of R&D
On October 28, AAAS sent an intersociety letter to Members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction reminding them of the value of federal investment in R&D.

Drowning and Drought: Extreme Weather Impacts on our Economy and Society
Please join us on December 2 for a briefing on extreme weather hazards, their relationship to changes in our climate, and how the country can better prepare for such events.
Slides and video now available.

Human Subjects Research
On October 26, AAAS commented on an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking related to human subjects research protections

Traumatic Brain Injury
On October 6, AAAS held a congressional briefing to discuss the future of TBI research and its impact on health and the economy.

Letter Sent to Capitol Hill Explaining the Value of R&D
On August 30, AAAS, among many other organizations, signed onto a letter that informed members of Congress of the value of research and development.

Science & Society: Global Challenges Discussion Series
Please join us for evening discussions this fall. The four discussions will cover cyber attacks, lessons learned from Fukushima, infectious disease eradication, and nanotechnology.

Cell Phones: How Do They Affect the Brain?
On September 7, AAAS held a congressional briefing to discuss risks that cell phone use poses to the brain.

AAAS Supports NOAA’s Proposed Scientific Integrity Policy.
On August 10, AAAS issued comments supporting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s draft Scientific Integrity Policy. In particular, AAAS commends NOAA for recognizing the value of scientific peer review, the importance of openness in research, and the ability of scientists to communicate with the media.

AAAS Comments on NSF Merit Review Criteria
On July 13, Directors of three AAAS programs commented on the revised merit review criteria put forward from the National Science Board's Task Force on Merit Review.

Organizations Write in Support of Peer Review Process and Urge Lawmakers to Avoid Program Specific Cuts
On July 11, 140 scientific societies and universities sent a letter urging U.S. policymakers, in their need to cut spending, to avoid singling out specific programs-such as the National Science Foundation's Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences-and to refrain from bypassing independent peer review.

Neurotechnology and the Military
On July 26, AAAS held a briefing that focused on areas of neuroscience that are of particular interest to members of the military.

AAAS Supports OGE Proposed Rule
On July 5, AAAS wrote Richard M. Thomas, associate general counsel for the Office of Government Ethics, to support OGE's proposed rule that would allow federal scientists to participate in professional societies.

AAAS Board Issues Statement on Attacks on Climate Researchers
Reports of personal attacks on climate scientists, including harassment, legal challenges, and even death threats, have created a hostile environment that inhibits the free exchange of scientific findings and makes it difficult for factual information to reach policymakers and the public, the AAAS Board of Directors said in a statement of concern. "AAAS vigorously opposes attacks on researchers that question their personal and professional integrity or threaten their safety based on displeasure with their scientific conclusions," the Board said in the statement, which was approved on 28 June.

AAAS Sends School District Letter Regarding Education Policy
On June 1, AAAS sent Members of the Board of Directors of the Los Alamitos Unified School District a letter encouraging them to remove the AP Environmental Science class from its "controversial issue" policy. The letter, which included a statement on climate science by the leaders of 18 scientific societies, stated, "Although debate about policy options exists, climate change is not a scientifically-controversial topic."

AAAS Appreciates Congress' Support for R&D
On May 3, AAAS sent House and Senate leadership a letter thanking them for supporting R&D in the 2011 Continuing Resolution.

AAAS Opposes Tennessee Anti-Evolution Bill
On April 5, AAAS sent Representatives from the Tennessee Legislature a letter asking them to reject an anti-evolution education bill and support a rigorous scientific education curriculum.

AAAS Supports Goal of Bill to Enhance STEM Education
On March 25, AAAS sent Senator Franken (D-MN) a letter supporting the overall goal of the STEM Master Teachers Corp Act of 2011.

AAAS Comments on the Science of Evolution and Global Warming
In response to a call for information pertaining to the science of evolution and global warming, AAAS CEO Alan Leshner wrote two Tennessee State Representatives a letter on the subjects.

AAAS Urges Support for R&D
AAAS CEO Alan Leshner sent Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) a letter urging them to support federal investment in R&D via the Continuing Resolution.

AAAS Urges Representatives to Support R&D
AAAS CEO Alan Leshner sent Representatives a letter stating the value of research and development and the need to support it in HR. 1, the Continuing Resolution for FY 2011.

Summary of the America COMPETES Act
A comparison of the initial House passed bill and the one signed by the President.