Since 1817 the New York Academy of Sciences has been one of the world's foremost organizers of scientific conferences, symposia, and meetings. While the concerns and interests of the 21st-century scientific community may be different from those of the Academy's founding fathers, the impetus to gather, discuss, and exchange scientific information in an impartial forum continues to rest at the heart of scientific advancement. Each year, Academy programs bring together thousands of scientific professionals—as well as others from business, government, education, and the general public—to advance basic and applied research, address issues facing the scientific community, discuss important societal problems, and improve health and social well-being.
The Academy organizes approximately 10 interdisciplinary international conferences each year on frontier basic or applied research fields and on the broader roles of science and technology in society.
Life Sciences The Academy has organized more than one dozen interdisciplinary discussion groups, led by prominent researchers working in some of the hottest areas of science. Each group meets four to six times a year for meetings that feature senior and junior researchers. The discussion groups provide a great opportunity to learn about the latest developments in cutting-edge areas of science and to network with others with similar scientific interests.
Physical Sciences and Engineering
We are pleased to announce the return of the Physical Sciences and Engineering (PS&E) program to the Academy. This new program was launched in fall 2006 to provide a novel and critical forum for the exchange of new ideas and data. To this end, a number of distinct and high quality meetings were held during the launch, each of which was dedicated to exploring emerging interdisciplinary fields in the physical sciences that are transforming our world. The program will continue to convene events to raise the visibility of these disciplines. Events cover a range of topics including green science & engineering, quantitative finance, machine learning, string theory, and materials science.
Green Science and Sustainability
The Academy’s created this program to address emerging interdisciplinary areas in green science and sustainability. Launched in fall 2006 as part of Physical Sciences & Engineering, the program provides a novel and critical forum for the exchange of new ideas and data in key areas to advance the scientific discussion and understanding of environmental issues facing our society. By answering the call for continued progress in response to pressing issues such as global warming and rising fuel prices, the Academy furthers the evaluation of environmental and energy strategies worldwide.
The Academy has partnered with leading educational institutions in the New York City area and around the country to provide mentoring, networking, and career development services for young investigators through local events and a robust Web site.
The Academy is building alliances with other distinguished institutions around the world to expand knowledge dissemination and create global conversation, including electronic "cloning" of Academy conferences.
Fighting on behalf of the human rights of scientists, physicians, mathematicians, engineers, and educators around the world has been the raison d'être of the Academy's Committee on the Human Rights of Sciences since it was created in 1978.
An Academy-sponsored consortium representing 40 different groups is defining and recommending pollution prevention strategies in the New York and New Jersey harbor.
Hundreds of middle- and high-school teachers and students take part each year in Academy education programs. Our programs for students include a summer research training program and the annual NYC Science and Engineering Fair; for teachers we offer professional development opportunities.
The Mayor's Awards for Excellence in Science and Technology are given annually to recognize the scientific and technological achievements of individuals who live or work in New York City and the important role these sectors play in the success of the city.
Section Meetings Lectures, workshops and symposia organized by the Academy's "sections"—groups of members interested in a particular area of research (for example, psychology, anthropology, environmental sciences). Sections generally host four to six meetings each year and are a great way to learn about the latest topics and to network with others.
Special Meetings In addition to meetings listed above, the Academy also organizes and hosts a variety of other events. Some examples include:
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Working sessions on highly timely topics. These are generally limited to 20 to 40 invited participants, to allow intense concentration on the particular issue. Such meetings may result in a published article or Academy eBriefing disseminated to our membership and the general science community. Recently such meetings have focused on neuroethics, stem cell research topics of concern to, national security and biological research, and special meetings organized for the financial community. For an ongoing series of special, inter-sectoral meetings, click on the Harbor Project.
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As a scientific association, the Academy is also interested in communicating science with the public, particularly on issues of public interest or potential impact. Thus, several times a year, the Academy organizes events in which authors of recent books speak about their work and their writing, and answer questions from the audience. Visit Readers & Writers for information on upcoming events, and hear podcasts of interviews with the featured authors at Science & the City.
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