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Committees and Working Groups
The mission of the AAS is exemplified in the work of our committee and working group volunteers. The committees and working groups listed below mirror the order as they are defined in the Bylaws. You can use the anchor links below to navigate through each category listing.
- Committees of the Board
- Advisory Committees
- Prize, Award, Honor, and Grant Committees
- Working Groups
- Task Forces
- Presidential Advisory Committees
- AAS Representatives to Other Organizations or Committees
- Other Subunits
We encourage all AAS members to seriously consider getting involved in a committee that holds similar professional interest for you and your career growth.
Volunteer to Serve on a Committee
Committees of the Board
Committees of the Board are specialized workgroups that focus on specific areas of oversight, strategy and governance. They consist of Board of Trustee members.
Advisory Committees
Advisory committees consist of AAS members and provide advice, recommendations, and specialized knowledge on specific topics. Advisory committees categories include advocacy committees, affinity committees, operational committees, and technical committees.
- Beyond Academic Careers Advisory Committee (BACAC)
- Books Advisory Committee
- Committee for the Protection of Astronomy and the Space Environment (COMPASSE)
- Committee for Sexual-Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy (SGMA)
- Committee on Employment
- Committee on Meetings
- Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy (CSMA)
- Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy (CSWA)
- Education Committee
- Finance Committee
- Historic Site Designation Committee
- Membership Committee
- Nominating Committee
- Publications Committee
- Site Visit Oversight Committee (SVOC)
- Strategic Assembly
- Sustainability Committee
Prize, Award, Honor, and Grant Committees
Members of prize, award, honor, and grant committees are responsible for reviewing nominations and applications and making recommendations for the AAS's annual prize and award recipients, the annual class of AAS Fellows, and grants.
Working Groups
Working groups are temporary collaborative bodies that focus on broad or evolving topics. According to AAS bylaws, working groups may remain in existence for up to five (5) years.
- Ethics Working Group
- Prize Working Group
- Working Group for International Students and Researchers in Astronomy
- Working Group on Accessibility and Disability (WGAD)
- Working Group on Astroinformatics and Astrostatistics (WGAA)
- Working Group on Graduate Admissions (WGGA)
- Working Group on the Preservation of Astronomical Heritage (WGPAH)
- Working Group on the Unified Astronomy Thesaurus (WGUAT)
- Working Group on Time Domain Astronomy (WGTDA)
Task Forces
Task forces are short-term, specialized teams formed to respond to a focused need of the Society.
Active Task Forces
Inactive Task Forces
Task Forces that have completed their work and have presented their final reports to the Board of Trustees. Read all past AAS Task Forces Final Reports.
Presidential Advisory Committees and Task Forces
Presidential advisory committees and task forces address focused areas of concern to the Society and the discipline, especially in those areas requiring special expertise or commitment.
- Appointments Committee
- Code of Ethics Committee
- Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy (CAPP)
- Demographics Committee
- Task Force on AAS Journals and Large Language Model (LLM) Development
AAS Representatives to Other Organizations or Committees
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American Institute of Physics Board of Directors
- USNC for the International Union of Radio Science (USNC-URSI)
- USNC/IAU Committee