The AAAS seeks to "advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people. " To fulfill this mission, the AAAS Board has set the following broad goals: - Enhance communication among scientists, engineers, and the public; - Promote and defend the integrity of science and its use; - Strengthen support for the science and technology enterprise; - Provide a voice for science on societal issues; - Promote the responsible use of science in public policy; - Strengthen and diversify the science and technology workforce; - Foster education in science and technology for everyone; - Increase public engagement with science and technology; and - Advance international cooperation in science.

AAAS fulfills its mission through a broad array of initiatives focused on policy, public engagement, education, scientific responsibility and the law, and science diplomacy. Defending openness, integrity, and understanding within and about the practice of science and its applications; promoting communication and education among scientists, engineers, and the public; sparking curiosity about the world and how it works; and advancing dialogue about the importance and relevance of science and innovation are central components of our work. AAAS provides tools to equip scientists and engineers to advocate for science and be active in policymaking. The Office of Government Relations communicates with congressional representatives and staff, organizes Capitol Hill briefings and meetings, and produces evidence-based science and technology updates, including analyses of federal investments in science and engineering research and development (R&D). AAAS trains and encourages scientists to become active in policymaking and advocating for science. The Office of International and Security Affairs and the Center for Science Diplomacy foster international scientific collaborations and personal connections among researchers, which leads to new discoveries, improved relationships among governments and benefits the public welfare. AAAS shares information about scientific advances and promotes scientific knowledge among diverse audiences worldwide. Each year, AAAS hosts the world's largest general-science meeting, attracting researchers, policymakers, journalists and families. Year-round, AAAS shares information on the latest advances with media, provides communication training and resources to scientists and engineers, and promotes research-practice collaboration across disciplines and borders. Improving education and opportunities for students and professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is a primary goal of AAAS, benefiting individuals and society, which need science-literate citizens and a well-trained STEM workforce. AAAS facilitates training programs, conferences, awards and internships that reach out to women and underrepresented groups to ensure that society can access the full spectrum of STEM talent. Finally, Science research publications encompass advances across the biological, physical and social sciences, and news and analysis expand our understanding of the road to a Zika vaccine, Saudi Arabia's push to prevent inherited diseases, and the role of science in election campaigns, among many other issues. These are just some of AAAS' many solutions that aim to tackle the organization's goal of advancing science to the benefit of all humankind.

AAAS's responsibilities reside at the intersection of the world's most urgent problems and the science and technology that will play a key role in solving them. The world's largest multidisciplinary scientific society and a leading publisher of cutting-edge research through its Science family of journals, AAAS is widely recognized as the most trusted force for science within the research community, in the executive branch, on Capitol Hill, and beyond. AAAS was founded in 1848 as the first permanent organization formed to promote the development of science and engineering at the national level and to represent the interests of all its disciplines. AAAS acquired Science journal in 1900 and went on to feature leading scientists such as Thomas Hunt Morgan, Albert Einstein, and Edwin Hubble, among others. Over the course of its existence, AAAS evolved from an organization primarily concerned with promoting communication among its members to one with a strong professional staff committed to the advancement of science and the relations between science and society. Drawing increasingly on support from foundations and federal agencies, the Association has built pioneering programs for bringing underrepresented groups into science; applying science to human rights; supporting the growth of science in the developing world; exploring issues of science, ethics, and law; tracking federal spending for R&D; and in bringing scientists and engineers to work in Congress and executive agencies of government. Today, AAAS is the world's largest general scientific society, with over 120,000 members, and Science has become the one of the world's most prestigious and widely-quoted scientific journals as well as a respected source of science news. AAAS' key strength is found in the infrastructure of communication and cooperation that it has constructed over more than 150 years of existence across scientific disciplines and communities, the government, and the public. Owing to its extensive history as the leading advocate for science, the bonds it has developed across disciplines and sectors, and the pedigree of its many publications, AAAS brings an incomparable level of status and respect to all of its endeavors.

In addition to publishing Science, AAAS fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy; diplomacy; education and career support; public engagement with science; and more. Indicators of success in these many and varied endeavors are measured on a project-by-project basis. One overall indicator of AAAS' ability to interface with the scientific community and the public is the readership of Science magazine. Through Science and its sister journals, AAAS reaches more than one million people each week with news about the most promising, cutting-edge research from across the science enterprise. Furthermore, its more than 100,000 members, 8,000 elected Fellows, and nearly 250 affiliated societies span all disciplines and sectors across the globe. As of April 2017, AAAS has provided more than 130 Communicating Science workshops for over 4,500 scientist and engineer attendees at universities, science society meetings, and government agency labs worldwide. Furthermore, since January 2017, AAAS has added over 33,000 new members, many of whom are younger than the average AAAS member and unassociated with traditional academic institutions. This influx of atypical new members and the reach of AAAS' programming are indicative of its success in bringing science to the public square.

The following accomplishments represent only a fraction of AAAS' body of work over the last few years. Information about the successes of our many other projects can be found on our website. AAAS graduated the 44th class of its Science & Technology Policy Fellows in September 2016. The 259 fellows in the 2016 class, all of whom have advanced degrees in science, engineering or medicine, will contribute technical expertise while learning about policymaking firsthand in their new posts in all three branches of the federal government. Trends in federal R&D funding were made clearer with a new Budget Dashboard developed by the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program, designed to enhance the transparency, accessibility and usefulness of historical AAAS data. The first detection of gravitational waves, made possible by an international collaboration involving thousands of scientists, and efforts to minimize the effects of the Zika virus were just some of the news-making research presented at the 182nd AAAS Annual Meeting held in February 2016. Hundreds of additional research presentations, seminars and symposia on a wide range of science topics were attended by nearly 10,000 people from 60 countries. AAAS Education and Human Resources developed Science in the Classroom, a project that annotates selected articles from Science, the leading research journal published by AAAS, and provides accompanying teaching materials. As of April 2017, AAAS has provided more than 130 Communicating Science workshops for over 4,500 scientist and engineer attendees at universities, science society meetings, and government agency labs worldwide. In 2016, AAAS launched Science Immunology and Science Robotics. Science Immunology features interdisciplinary research focused on understanding problems in cellular and clinical immunology, providing a broad platform for the most exciting findings in this growing field. Science Robotics highlights new advances in complex engineered systems for exploration of environments as diverse as the body, a factory, land, air, sea and space. Since the 2016 election, AAAS has sought to take on a more active role in science advocacy, establishing itself as the “Force for Science" and actively seeking opportunities to expand communication and advocacy activities. As part of these activities, AAAS articulates positions on critical science-related issues in public statements from the Board of Directors and Council, in letters to Congress and other public bodies, and in newspaper commentaries and broadcast interviews. AAAS also holds workshops and events for scientists, policymakers, and the general public to engage and communicate. Looking ahead, AAAS is finding ways to promote and strengthen evidence-based policy at the federal and state levels; provide journalists in the newsroom with accurate and timely scientific information and resources; and engage the groundswell of scientific activism at the grassroots level.