Dear Colleagues,

During 2009, our mission to advance science and serve society has inspired new initiatives on four interconnected fronts that, as a whole, provide vital scientific support in meeting interrelated global challenges.

Science Policy and Funding It is critical to meeting national and global challenges that we provide objective information to guide federal policies and ensure appropriate funding of research and development (R&D). To lend scientific expertise to the policy making process, we held a series of Capitol Hill briefings on topics ranging from climate change to nuclear plant safeguards. AAAS sponsors an annual leadership seminar and an annual forum on science and technology (S&T) policy that this year attracted a wide array of participants from government, business, research centers, and universities. This year also marks the 35th anniversary of the S&T Policy Fellowship program, which placed a record number of scientists in congressional offices and executive branch agencies. The AAAS R&D Budget Program provided regular updates on the status of federal funding as well as an annual in-depth analysis of R&D funding in the White House's proposed budget. We applauded President Barack Obama's pledge to "restore science to its rightful place" and welcomed his selection of former AAAS president John P. Holdren as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

International Scientific Activities Science diplomacy is an important mechanism to maintain productive relationships among peoples even if their governments are not necessarily on the best of diplomatic terms. AAAS President Peter Agre led a delegation to Cuba focusing on science policy and scientific cooperation and AAAS joined a US delegation to Syria to discuss scholar exchanges. , We also are working to build relationships and foster joint projects with leading scientists in both Iran and North Korea. Ongoing exchanges between AAAS and Chinese S&T leaders moved forward during a visit to Beijing for high-level discussions on science education and research opportunities. Meeting in Belgium, we signed an agreement with the European Commission's Joint Research Centre to pursue cooperative efforts with an initial focus on combating illicit traffic in nuclear materials. The first US science envoys, named this year to facilitate international collaboration, include Bruce Alberts, Science Editor-in-Chief, and Elias Zerhouni, Chief Scientific Adviser to AAAS's new journal, Science Translational Medicine. This year, we also expanded efforts to protect the rights of scientists and citizens worldwide, launching the AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition to expand global partnerships between scientific and rights organizations.

Science Education and Career Development AAAS works to improve science education through efforts ranging from summer science programs for elementary school students to master's programs for middle school science and math teachers. We co-launched a long-term initiative for the transformation of undergraduate biology education, including the design of innovative programs and materials. Project 2061, AAAS's science literacy initiative, hosted a delegation of science educators from Shanghai, China, to develop new strategies for science curricula. The project also began to create a climate-related middle grade teaching resource. AAAS continues to advance the scientific enterprise with support through every career stage, from internships for early career scientists to a volunteer program for senior scientists and engineers. Our comprehensive job support website, ScienceCareers.org, added searchable employer profiles and introduced MySciNet, an online network for scientists and engineers from diverse backgrounds, as well as CTSciNet, another online network for members of the clinical and translational medicine fields.

Public Engagement with AAAS's Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology works to broaden input into science policy and research agendas with initiatives such as a series of monthly public seminars focusing on food purity, the environment, and other issues of societal concern. Scientists and engineers are learning how to present their research findings to audiences beyond academia through AAAS's expanded "Communicating Science" program of workshops, webinars, and a multimedia website. The new AAAS Policy Innovation Network is developing an online platform to connect government policymakers with scientists and a broad range of other experts.

I wish to thank each AAAS member for supporting our mission this past year, and to bid all of you a pleasant holiday season.

Sincerely,

Alan I. Leshner, CEO, AAAS