AAAS - The World's Largest General Scientific Society

Programs: Science and Policy

http://shr.aaas.org//projects/other/index.shtml

AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

Other

Professionals for the Public Interest
[2009-present]

AAAS has joined with 18 national and global organizations to establish a coalition of Professionals for the Public Interest: Associations and Unions Defending Professional Integrity. The coalition's focus is defending professional integrity against external pressures in the public interest. News Story | More...

			Projects on the U.S. Voting System [2004-2008] The ability to vote stands at the core of American democracy. Yet, much is to be done to understand how the U.S. voting system works. For improvements to be made, society must comprehend factors that affect voting, from behavior to technology. Science has a vital role in strengthening the voting system, and AAAS has made efforts to encourage more research on the ways by which America decides.More…

$Public domain image courtesy of the U.S. Department of State\avatar Mercy Paine$

Workshop on Emerging Norms, Law and Ethics in Virtual Worlds
[2008]

AAAS consponsored a workshop at Arizona State University (ASU) that explored the social, ethical, and legal implications surrounding virtual communities. The workshop was held on March 10, 2008.

			Making Sense of the "Broader Impacts" of Science and Technology [2007] Although NSF’s “Broader Impacts” merit review criterion (BIC) has been in effect for ten years, its reception by members of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) community has been mixed. The initial goals of this workshop were to reflect on the rationale behind BIC, as well as to explore whether researchers on science, technology, and society (ROSTS) – from disciplines such as History, Philosophy, Policy Studies, and Science and Technology Studies (STS) – can assist STEM researchers in addressing the “broader impacts” of their research. More…

			Science and Intellectual Property in the Public Interest [2002-2007] In 2002, AAAS initiated a multi-year project to bring a public interest perspective to science and intellectual property issues. Through that perspective the project examined the scope of the public domain in science, emphasizing equity in access to the benefits of science, and encouraging broad participation in deliberations on matters of intellectual property policy. More…

			The Life of Galileo [2003] On December 7, 2003, AAAS sponsored a matinee performance of the Bertolt Brecht play, "The Life of Galileo," at Washington, DC's Studio Theatre for AAAS members and their families, friends, and staff. The event culminated a series of activities between AAAS and the Theatre to bridge science and theater in ways that were both entertaining and educational. More…

30 Years of Fighting Cancer - Reflections on the Past, Challenges for the Future
[2001]

Nearly thirty years ago, President Richard M. Nixon launched the "War on Cancer," signing the National Cancer Act on December 23, 1971. The progress in the years since and the work still needed to win this war were discussed at a forum, "30 Years of Fighting Cancer: Reflections on the Past, Challenges for the Future," co-sponsored by AAAS and Americans for Medical Progress (AMP) on November 7, 2001. More…

			Should there be an Oath for Scientists and Engineers? [2000] The rapid and enormous expansion of science and technology in the twentieth century has brought with it an increased awareness of the potential impact of the products of scientific discovery on society and the environment. One of the issues that has emerged from this attention to the consequences of scientific research is whether scientists and engineers should swear to an oath of ethical conduct. More…

AAAS Projects on Access to Data
[1996-1999]

Restricting access to data has the potential to impede scientific freedom and discourage the responsible conduct of science by, for example, obscuring data quality and the peer review process. AAAS has voiced its concerns to federal and international bodies on maintaining open, yet responsible access to data, and has co-sponsored a colloquium exploring how secrecy and confidentiality have historically shaped and impacted collaboration among scientists, between scientists and industry, and scientiests and government.

Public image domain courtesy of the US Office of Personnel Management

Minority Perspectives on Values and Ethics in Science and Technology
[1991]

With funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health, AAAS and 17 other organizations sponsored a Summer 1991 workshop on values and ethical issues in science and technology for minority scholars. Our primary goal was to attract more minorities into research on these issues.

			Values and Ethics in Organization and Human System Development: Responding to Dilemmas in Professional Life [1984-1987] The evolution of any profession is characterized, in large part, by efforts to increase the influence of ethics in professional life for its members. This process includes efforts to define the principles of ethical conduct for professional activity and to deepen the commitment of members of the profession to those principles. It also includes striving to help members realize the ideals that infuse professional life with meaning.