Science and Society

For science to benefit humanity, we support more than research itself. We are committed to ensuring the people, processes and products of basic science contribute meaningfully to society.

Ethics, Science, and the Public

Designing efforts to engage the public in implications that accompany breakthrough discoveries and their transformative role within society.

Basic Science in Society

Focusing on the practice and scholarship of public engagement with basic science and supporting scientists to communicate and engage effectively.

Special Projects

Supporting special projects that strengthen the relationship between science and society.

Featured News

Explore highlights of work being done at the intersection of science and society.

If we wire the brain, what comes to mind?
Science and Society
When Narayan Sankaran was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco, his lab abruptly entered the limelight.
May 28, 2025
Science and Society Director Brooke Smith named 2024 AAAS Fellow
Science and Society
Mar 27, 2025
Behind Our Work: A Q&A with Brooke Smith
Science and Society
Dec 15, 2024
Building Societal Considerations into the Heart of Basic Research
Science and Society
Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery at the University of Oxford
Dec 11, 2024
Relaying Public Input on Machine Learning to Researchers
Science and Society
Adler Planetarium and Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago
Dec 11, 2024
Bringing Ethical Considerations and Public Engagement into Astronomy
Science and Society
Australian National University
Dec 05, 2024
The Ethics of Hyping Basic Science
Science and Society
Leiden University
Dec 05, 2024
Ethics, the Public, and the Early-Career Researcher
Science and Society
Kavli Center for Ethics, Science, and the Public at UC Berkeley and ComSciCon
Dec 05, 2024
2024 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards Announced
Science and Society
Peers select winners from around the globe
Nov 13, 2024
From Research to Practice
Science and Society
Neuromatch Civic Science Fellow Leanna Kalinowski
Nov 11, 2024
Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems in a Societal Context
Science and Society
Developing a protocol to assess how basic science research intersects with societal considerations
Nov 11, 2024
Communicating Discovery Science
Science and Society
New insights on how to communicate basic science – new special issue in JCOM
Oct 30, 2024

Partnerships

We partner with organizations aligned with our programmatic work in Science and Society.

Past Work

Science Policy

Science Journalism Portfolio

Summary

Field Building in Public Engagement with Science

Summary