Since the mid-1970s, AAAS has engaged in activities aimed at promoting high standards for the practice of science and engineering, monitoring and enhancing assessment of emerging ethical issues related to science and technology, and promoting and defending scientific freedom, at home and around the world. Through these activities, AAAS has informed policy, guide “researchers in the conduct of their research, contribute” to the development of education and training curricula, generated empirical data, established principles and identified best practices.
The ongoing efforts of AAAS are primarily led by the Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program which has a mission to foster and facilitate the responsible practice and application of science in the service of society. The Program addresses ethical, legal and human rights issues related to the conduct and application of science and technology. The Program is committed to promoting high standards for the practice of science and engineering; advancing the human right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications; engaging scientists, engineers and their professional associations in human rights efforts; monitoring and enhancing assessment of emerging ethical, legal, and human rights issues related to science and technology; furthering the use of science and technology in support of human rights; and initiating activities to address the impact of developments at the intersection of science, technology, and law.
Information about the Program, its history and current activities is available here.
Recent Activities
Support for Scientific Evidence-Based Policies and Practices
- COVID-19
- AAAS Response to Coronavirus and U.S. Federal Government Communication [February 27, 2020]
- AAAS and Science Journals Provide Scientific Information on COVID-19 Worldwide (AAAS News, March 23, 2020)
- AAAS Statement on NIH Cancellation of Research Grant to EcoHealth Alliance [June 24, 2020]
- AAAS CEO Advocates for Recovery Support for Research Community (AAAS News, February 26, 2021)
- Science Editorial: Colleges Need Vaccine Mandates [July 23, 2021]
- Election Integrity and Security
- Voting Technology and Security [AAAS EPI Center]
- AAAS Statements on Elections and Paper Ballots [March 9, 2018]
- Letter to Governors and Secretaries of State on the insecurity of online voting [April 9, 2020]
- AAAS Statement on U.S. Election Results [November 7, 2020]
- Climate Change
- AAAS CEO Statement on Executive Order on Climate Change [March 28, 2017]
- AAAS Statement on Paris Agreement on Climate Change [June 1, 2017]
- AAAS How We Respond [AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science & Technology]
- Science in Policymaking
- AAAS Statement on Dismissal of Scientists on EPA Scientific Advisory Board [May 8, 2017]
- Scientific Organizations Statement on Science and Government [June 27, 2017]
- AAAS Statement on Trump Administration Disbanding National Climate Assessment Advisory Committee [August 22, 2017]
- AAAS CEO Response to Media Report on Use of "Science-Based" at CDC [December 15, 2017]
- Community Statement to OMB on Science and Government [December 19, 2017]
- AAAS Statement on U.S. Defense Department Disbanding Science and Engineering Advisory Group JASON [April 12, 2019]
- 60 Science, Engineering and Education Organizations Ask U.S. Agencies to Balance National Security Concerns with Impacts to Scientific Enterprise [September 4, 2019]
- AAAS Response to OSTP Request for Information: Public Access to Federally Funded Research [April 27, 2020]
Support for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility
- AAAS Underscores Importance of Diversity in Education and Science [July 5, 2018]
- 75 Scientific Organizations Submit Comments Opposing U.S. Department of Education’s Proposed Changes to Title IX Implementing Regulations [January 30, 2019]
- Institutions Must Change to Recruit and Retain Women of Color in Tech (April 10, 2020)
- Science Societies Endorse Congressional Resolutions Denouncing Anti-Asian Racism (AAAS News, April 22, 2020)
- AAAS CEO Comments on Social Unrest, Racism, and Inequality (AAAS News, June 1, 2020)
- AAAS CEO Statement on #ShutDownSTEM and Black Lives Matter [June 9, 2020]
- AAAS Drafts Plans to Combat Systemic Racism in Sciences (AAAS News, October 29, 2020)
- Women in Science: Supporting a Diverse Scientific Enterprise (AAAS News, March 22, 2021)
- Experts Seek Strategies to Address Systemic Racism in Academic Institutions (AAAS News, March 25, 2021)
AAAS Implements Policies to Revoke Elected Fellows and Award Recipients for Misconduct or Ethics Breach
AAAS enacted a policy on October 15, 2018, under which an elected AAAS Fellow’s lifetime honor can be revoked for proven scientific misconduct or serious breaches of professional ethics.
The AAAS Council, which includes the AAAS board of directors, voted during a special meeting on September 15, 2018, to enact the policy. The policy includes procedures that AAAS will follow in considering the revocation of an elected AAAS Fellow’s status. The revocation policy can be found here.
On April 23, 2021, the AAAS board of directors adopted a similar policy to revoke AAAS Board-approved awards from past recipients who are found to no longer "meet the commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity."
AAAS Statement on Media Reports of Human Gene-Editing
AAAS CEO, Rush Holt, published a statement on November 27, 2018 in response to a Chinese researcher's claims that he had genetically edited the embryos of a set of twin girls, who were born earlier in the month. Holt expressed that it is irresponsible to undertake human gene-editing clinical trials without sufficient pre-clinical scientific evidence and inclusive public dialogue on the risks and societal implications of gene-editing human embryos.
Defense of Scientific Research, Findings, and Underlying Data
- EPA “Transparency” Rule
- AAAS leads an intersociety letter on the HONEST Act [March 28, 2017]
- Public Health, Medical, Academic, and Scientific Groups Oppose EPA Transparency Rule [July 16, 2018]
- Letter from AAAS CEO Rush Holt to Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler Regarding Proposed Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science Rule [July 16, 2018]
- Letter from AAAS Interim CEO Alan Leshner to U.S. House Science Committee on EPA and Transparency [November 11, 2019]
- AAAS Statement: EPA “Transparency” Rule Poses Danger to Americans’ Health [May 18, 2020]
- AAAS Statement on Final EPA ‘Transparency’ Rule [January 5, 2021]
- Gun Violence Research
- AAAS CEO Urges U.S. President and Congress to Lift Funding Restrictions on Gun Violence Research [March 13, 2018]
- National Weather Service and NOAA
- AAAS Statement on the National Weather Service and NOAA [September 10, 2019]
- Support for the Scientific Enterprise
- Science Editorial: Time to Look in the Mirror [June 12, 2020]
- Science Editorial: Trump Lied About Science [September 18, 2020]
Defense of Scientists, Academics, and Students
- Letter from AAAS and the American Physical Society to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Regarding Scientist Ahmadreza Djalali [December 15, 2017]
Freedom of Travel and International Collaboration
- Immigration and Freedom of Movement
- AAAS CEO Responds to Trump Immigration and Visa Order [January 28, 2017]
- AAAS Statement on White House Executive Order on Cuba Relations [June 16, 2017]
- AAAS Speaks Out Against Trump Administration Halt of Young Immigrant Program [September 6, 2017]
- AAAS Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Decision to Uphold Travel Ban [June 26, 2018]
- Immigrants and International Collaboration Remain Key to American Science, Says Steven Chu (AAAS News, February 2020)
- AAAS Statement on U.S. ICE Guidelines for International Students Related to Visa Status [July 8, 2020]
- AAAS Statement on Proposed Rule by U.S. Homeland Security Affecting Nonimmigrant Academic Students [October 26, 2020]
- Membership of International Institutions
- AAAS Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from UNESCO [October 12, 2017]
- AAAS Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from the World Health Organization [July 9, 2020]
- AAAS Letter to United Nations Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights [April 8, 2021]
Use of Scientific Evidence in the Justice System
- Letter from AAAS CEO Rush Holt to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Regarding Fingerprint Reporting Guidelines [March 28, 2018]
Publication Practices
- AAAS Comments on Plan S Voice Concerns about Author Freedom and Publishing Quality [February 8, 2019]
Introduction to the Statement on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility
Members of the AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility presented the Statement on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility (brought to the AAAS Board in April, 2017) in a webinar on August 9, 2017, provided details on the project's development and content, and invited AAAS member feedback on the project overall. In particular, participants had the opportunity to recommend resources and supporting information that would assist others in using the project website in their work and organization, and suggest steps for effective dissemination and communication of the project. The recording of the webinar can be found here.
The Right to Science
AAAS and the AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition have been eliciting the perspectives of scientists, engineers, and health professionals as to the meaning of the right to “enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications” and associated obligations (Article 15, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights). An initial focus group study that engaged U.S.-based scientists added clarity regarding the broad benefits of scientific progress relevant to the right and gave rise to a new conceptual framework for considering ‘access to science’ in the context of Article 15.
A subsequent project involved the development, dissemination and analysis of a preliminary global questionnaire to elicit the views of scientists, engineers and health professionals as to the meaning of the right; and organization of a briefing for the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to inform its development of a General Comment on the right. Two additional research efforts were undertaken: a series of interviews with health advocates around the world on how the right to science might apply to and help advance their work; and a project to create data visualizations of the ‘right to science’ references contained in periodic reports of States Party to the ICESCR. The findings of this research are presented in this report.
The Social Responsibilities of Scientists and Engineers
In 2013, AAAS undertook a preliminary data-gathering initiative. An online questionnaire was broadly distributed to scientists, engineers and health professionals internationally for the purposes of learning their perspectives on the nature and scope of their social responsibilities and to identify any apparent similarities and differences in perspectives according to multiple demographic variables. The questionnaire relied on convenience sampling and, therefore, the results could not be generalized beyond the study sample. Nevertheless, the research did suggest potential research questions for further exploration. Read about the results of this questionnaire in the 2015 report, available here.
With the support of the National Science Foundation, and using the results of the questionnaire as guidance, AAAS designed and pre-tested a global survey of scientists and engineers that would enable broad generalization about their views on their social responsibilities. This planning phase involved the development of a statistically rigorous survey instrument, translation of the survey in Arabic, French, Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish, a sampling frame and the development of a clear plan for reaching the broadly international targeted sample. Read about the results of this planning phase in the 2017 report.