There is just over a month left to register for the 2025 AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston, Mass. from Feb. 13 – 15. Eligible journalists, public information officers, and journalism professors and students can attend for free. You can view the schedule and additional offerings to learn more.
The meeting features:
- Plenary sessions on the future of science and investing in science around the world
- Scientific sessions spanning topics such as climate extremes, computing, AI, microplastics, food security and upcycling, settlements in space, protecting the moon for science, political determinants of health, light pollution and radio interference, trust in science, mitochondrial transplantation, COVID-19’s lasting impact in classrooms, and Asilomar 50 years later
- Topical lectures and special sessions on psychedelics, the acceleration of the universe, genomic technology, communicating uncertainty with data, the future of voting, science and the courts, and a new framework for science diplomacy
- Exclusive newsroom offerings, including a lounge, press briefing, lunch with session experts on timely topics, and networking events (see below for the list of offerings)
Register for free for this in-person only event and at the Registration Access Code step, please enter REVERE. Press registration is pending approval, and it may take a couple of days for AAAS staff to process. We hope to see you in Boston next month and are available to answer any questions in the meantime.
Sincerely,
AAAS Office of Communications (media@aaas.org) and Science Press Package team (scipak@aaas.org)
Exclusive Newsroom Offerings
Thursday, February 13
EurekAlert! and Mass Media Fellowship Anniversary Reception
3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST
AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award Ceremony and Reception
8 p.m. – 10 p.m. EST
Friday, February 14
Science Trends Media Briefing
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. EST
This year’s Science family editor trends briefing will feature researchers whose work is poised to yield great societal impact but has so far flown under the media’s radar, in the view of Science family journal editors. More details about the specific topics to be discussed in the trends briefing will be provided in late January.
Celebrating the AAAS Mass Media Fellows 50th Anniversary
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EST
Friday Happy Hour Trivia! Networking for Scientists & Journalists
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST
Newsroom Wine & Cheese
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. EST
Saturday, February 15
Trending Topics Press Lunch with Experts
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST
Note: Signup sheet will be shared soon with newsroom registrants
AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship 50th Anniversary Cake Cutting
3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. EST
Note: Cake is available on a first come, first served basis.
Innovations & Illuminations: An Evening at the Museum of Science
7 p.m. – 9 p.m. EST
Press Lunch with experts: Table Topics Announced
Back by popular demand, the Newsroom is hosting a meet and greet lunch for press and science communicators with select scientific experts. There will be multiple lunch tables, each focused on a distinct topic. Newsroom registrants will be able to sign up for their preferred table in advance. This is a great way to connect with compelling session speakers, establish new sources and inspire story ideas. A signup sheet will be shared with Newsroom registrants soon.
Table 1: Mind the gap: navigating trust in science in the U.S.
In November 2024, Pew Research Center research revealed a slight bump in Americans’ confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interests. However, there remains a sizable partisan gap in confidence in scientists and how Americans view the role of science in policymaking. With the return of the Trump administration and a new crop of members of Congress, what can the scientific community do to demonstrate it is trustworthy? How do we ensure that rigorous evidence is considered as policies take shape over the next four years and beyond? Guest speakers: Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of the Science family of journals, and Ruth Morgan, professor of Crime and Forensic Science at University College London and director of the UCL Centre for the Forensic Sciences.
Table 2: The next frontier of science diplomacy
Science diplomacy continues to face new challenges, including rapidly evolving geopolitics, more actors involved than ever before, critical international negotiations and blurred lines between scientist or diplomat. Fifteen years ago, AAAS and the Royal Society published the New Frontiers in Science Diplomacy, which laid out a science diplomacy framework. At the 2025 AAAS Annual Meeting, the two institutions will be releasing their new report — Beyond New Frontiers: An Updated Concept for Science Diplomacy report — a highly anticipated updated framework for scientists, diplomats and policymakers. Experts at this table will examine critical questions such as: How can the scientific community put this new framework into practice? How have the pillars of science diplomacy changed? Guest speakers: Ian Wiggins, director of international affairs at The Royal Society, and Kim Montgomery, director of international affairs and science and diplomacy at AAAS.
NOTE: Beyond New Frontiers: An Updated Concept for Science Diplomacy will publish on February 14 at 1 p.m. U.S. ET (the day before the lunch). Reporters interested in receiving an embargoed copy, please email media@aaas.org the first week of February.
Table 3: Food production & consumption reimagined
From the growing risks of contaminants such as microplastics in our soils to upticks in upcycling, the way we plant, harvest, consume, and recycle food continues to evolve. Join researchers to discuss how we can build a healthy agricultural infrastructure in an increasingly warming planet, whether food products with upcycled ingredients —food scraps that otherwise would be considered waste and disposed of in landfills — are sustainable solutions, the biggest hidden risks in our soils, and more. Guest speakers: Ziynet Boz, assistant professor of sustainable food systems engineering at the University of Florida, and Seeta Sistla, associate professor of natural resources management & environmental sciences at California Polytechnic State University.
Table 4: Governing space
Who is in charge of space? How should it be governed? As the space race edges ever closer toward potential settlements on the Moon and other planets, key questions like these will require answers in the future. How will society agree on things such as cardinal language, legal systems and jurisdictions? Should we plan to conserve “wild areas” of the Moon or other planets to avoid making the same environmental and ecological mistakes we’ve made on Earth? Guest speakers: Jennifer Wiseman, senior project scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and Christopher D. Johnson, space law advisor for the Secure World Foundation, professor of law (adjunct) at the Georgetown University Law Center, and faculty member at the International Space University.
Table 5: Is nuclear the solution to a carbon-neutral future?
Energy demands are growing at a rapid pace. Industrialization, population and emerging technologies all continue to demand more power in an already carbon-saturated planet. Among the clean energy solutions, nuclear energy has faced some of the most public criticism and concern. But as science and technology have continued to advance, is nuclear ready to be one of the answers to our sustainable energy needs? Join research and industry experts to discuss the advances and setbacks nuclear power has faced over the years, and what it holds for our future. Guest speakers: Thomas Albrecht, distinguished professor and director of the Nuclear Science & Engineering Center at the Colorado School of Mines and Kathryn Huff, associate professor of nuclear, plasma, and radiological engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Table 6: The next era of mental health science
The way we diagnose, treat, understand and discuss mental health has evolved massively over the years, and mental health-related research continues to grow. Join speakers from across fields and industries as they discuss the latest trends and findings in mental health treatment, what’s working, and what’s not. Guest speakers: Ian Stanley, assistant research professor, University of Colorado School of Medicine and psychological health lead at the CU Anschutz Center for COMBAT Research, and Gregg Gonsalves, associate professor at Yale School of Public Health and an associate professor at Yale Law School.
Table 7: The role of artificial intelligence in scholarly publishing
Artificial intelligence is changing the way science is conducted, published and discovered. At each critical node, AI brings forth both attractive efficiencies and important questions. For example, as scientists leverage AI, how will it uniquely enhance the pace of discovery? Are some disciplines especially ripe for groundbreaking advances? How should researchers differentiate where to apply AI, and where it’s not yet time to do so? Publishers of scientific research have a different set of considerations — including evaluating where and when they should lean most heavily on AI tools. As completely new sectors engage with science with the help of these technologies, what will be the impact on society? Guest speakers: Meagan Phelan, communications director at the Science family of journals, and Ana Trisovic, research scientist at the FutureTech Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Table 8: How to optimize the U.S. S&T enterprise
A new task force of leaders across the STEMM ecosystem will unveil a vision for a globally competitive 21st-century U.S. science and technology enterprise in February 2025. The Science and Technology Action Committee convened this cross-sector group to create a new national plan, a Vision for American Science and Technology, which includes concrete policy proposals for the U.S. administration and Congress. Speakers will share insights from conversations with policymakers, and how VAST can serve as a scientific rallying point for the nation. Guest speaker: Mary Woolley, president and CEO at Research!America.
Table 9: Federal R&D funding under a new Congress
Federal research & development funding is instrumental to the U.S. economy and competitiveness. Countless innovations that have changed our lives — the internet, novel medicines, and AI — were funded by taxpayer dollars. Will science funding be in jeopardy with a new administration and Congress? Learn about the state of the federal R&D budget process, including the outlook for the fiscal year 2025 budget, the impact of (yet another) continuing resolution, and the importance of investing in basic research, which can ultimately yield important advancements for society. Guest speakers: Alessandra Zimmermann, senior manager of the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program, and Gwendolyn Bogard, senior government relations officer at AAAS.
Notable Sessions from the Broader Meeting Program
Revisiting Asilomar Fifty Years Later: Who Is In the Room When We Talk About AI?
Moderator: Holden Thorp, Science
Speakers: Shobita Parthasarathy, University of Michigan; Luis Campos, Rice University; R. Alta Charo, University of Wisconsin Law School; Rebecca Finlay, Partnership on AI
Climate Extremes: Global, Health, and Community Impacts
Moderator: Justin Worland, TIME Magazine
Speakers: Sonia I. Seneviratne, ETH Zurich; Mary Berlik Rice, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Nikoosh Carlo, U.S. Arctic Research Commission
The Surprising Expansion History of the Universe
Speaker: Adam Reiss, Johns Hopkins University, Nobel Laureate
A Vision for American Science & Technology
Moderator: Alison Snyder, Axios
Speakers: France Córdova, Science Philanthropy Alliance; Kelvin Droegemeier, University of Illinois; Darío Gil, IBM; Marcia McNutt, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Sudip Parikh, AAAS
The Future of Voting
Speaker: Juan Gilbert, University of Florida
Mammal Mummies, Microbes, and Blue-Eyed Scallops Foretell Antarctica’s Future
Speakers: Dawn Sumner, University of California, Davis; Brenda Hall, University of Maine; Kelly Cronin, Georgia State University Perimeter College