Dear Member,

2025 has tested the scientific enterprise, our institutions, and each of us as individuals. With all the challenges, it has also inspired us to come together and speak out in support of what science can accomplish for America and for the world.

There are promising signs that our voices and priorities are being heard. The legislation that reopened the U.S. federal government a few weeks ago soundly rejected the Administration’s proposed steep cuts to the Agricultural Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This didn’t happen by accident. Many organizations, including AAAS, emphasized the danger of cutting federal research and development funding. We made the case for these critical investments, and we are grateful to our tremendous coalition of advocacy champions alongside whom we work. Final decisions for the rest of the science funding agencies will be made by January 30, 2026 and our attention and activity are firmly focused there.

Together, we will keep our voices strong for science in 2026. I’ll talk more about our plans at a AAAS member and donor Town Hall at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 16. I hope you’ll attend.

To remain energized for what’s ahead, it’s important to take time to rest, reflect and share in community. Please join the AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion in person at AAAS or virtually on December 10 at 5:30 p.m. ET for “The Heart of Science: Scientists Share Their Stories of Joy and Connection.” Speakers will talk about where they find inspiration in their scientific work and their communities.

In the spirit of the AAAS DoSER event, here’s a moment of wonder I’d like to share: You may have heard about the interstellar object that the ATLAS telescope spotted a few months ago — or some rumors about aliens spreading on the web. NASA recently identified it as a comet, 3I/ATLAS, and it's the third known object to enter our solar system from another star system. There is still magic and wonder out there – even if this one doesn’t turn out to be aliens!

I wish you a holiday season that includes some time for you to stare at the stars, replenishing you for the year to come.

Sudip S. Parikh, Ph.D. 
Chief Executive Officer, AAAS  
Executive Publisher, Science Journals