What Society for Applied Spectroscopy does

The Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) is a 501c3 nonprofit professional membership society founded in 1958 and incorporated in 1960, now headquartered in Albany, New York after reincorporating there in 2023. Per its mission statement, it exists to advance and disseminate knowledge concerning the art and science of spectroscopy and allied sciences, to advance the professional standing of its members, and to coordinate cooperative endeavors of its individual members and sections. SAS serves academic researchers, industrial spectroscopists, students, and early-career scientists engaged in photon-based analytical techniques spanning UV-Vis, fluorescence, IR, Raman, near-IR, terahertz, atomic absorption/emission, LIBS, ICP-MS, and hyphenated methods.

SAS's core products are two peer-reviewed journals — Applied Spectroscopy (monthly, currently in its 77th volume with full online archive back to 1948, published in partnership with SAGE Publications since 2016) and Applied Spectroscopy Practica (fully open-access, launched in partnership with SAGE) — supplemented by webinars (delivered with Spectroscopy Online), short courses, and a career center. The society generates revenue through a tiered annual membership structure (Regular $100, Early Career $60, Student $35, Retired $35, Lifetime $2,499), journal subscription royalties and article processing charges via SAGE, conference registration fees, corporate sponsorships, and advertising in journals, newsletters, and event booths. Its go-to-market is event- and community-led: SAS holds its annual meeting jointly with FACSS at the SciX conference (since 1974), hosts events at Pittcon, the Eastern Analytical Symposium, ICORS, ISMS, and the Vibrational Spectroscopy GRS, and distributes content through a website (s-a-s.org, redesigned 2024), social channels (X, Facebook, LinkedIn), a monthly newsletter with ~45–48% open rates, and a network of 12 regional sections, 6 technical sections, student chapters, and special interest groups.

The society runs a member-driven governance model (elected Executive Committee and Governing Board with ~17 founding local sections), administers a long-standing awards suite (William F. Meggers, Peter Griffiths, Gold Medal, Ellis R. Lippincott co-sponsored with Coblentz Society and Optica, Lester W. Strock, Fellows, Honorary Membership, and student awards), and pursues modernization through a 2023 reincorporation in New York, a new professional management company partnership, a 2024 brand refresh, and a restructured digital and webinar program. Corporate partners include Shimadzu Corporation (financial sponsor of the Griffiths Award) and Avantes, with journal publishing and conference co-hosting partnerships extending to SAGE Publications, FACSS, the Coblentz Society, Optica, IASA, and the American Institute of Physics (AIP) historically.

Name

Society for Applied Spectroscopy

Legal name

Society for Applied Spectroscopy, Inc.

Website

https://s-a-s.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Society for Applied Spectroscopy is a 501c3 nonprofit professional membership society that publishes two peer-reviewed spectroscopy journals (Applied Spectroscopy and Applied Spectroscopy Practica), runs conferences including SciX, and serves a global community of academic researchers, industrial spectroscopists, and students across all photon-based analytical techniques.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Scientific Society and Scientific Publishing

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK), Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD), Life Sciences (Biology, Ecology, Agriculture) Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAC)

Keywords

• Spectroscopy research
• Peer-reviewed journals
• Professional membership society
• Scientific conferences
• Spectroscopy education

Headquarters

HQ city

Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues across multiple categories (Regular $100, Early Career $60, Student $35, Retired $35, Lifetime $2,499) form a core recurring revenue stream. Dues are the primary mechanism through which members gain access to journals, newsletters, webinars, career resources, conference discounts, and section participation.
2. Journal Publishing & Advertising: SAS publishes Applied Spectroscopy (monthly peer-reviewed journal, in its 77th volume) and Applied Spectroscopy Practica (open-access journal), both partnered with SAGE Publications. Revenue is derived from institutional subscriptions to Applied Spectroscopy and open-access article processing charges for Practica, along with journal advertisement opportunities offered to corporate sponsors.
3. Conferences & Events: SAS holds its annual meeting in conjunction with SciX (FACSS) each Fall, and hosts numerous events and symposia at Pittcon, Eastern Analytical Symposium, and other conferences. Revenue is generated through conference registration fees and discounted member attendance rates. Corporate partners and exhibitors also pay for booth presence.
4. Sponsorships & Advertising: SAS offers corporate partnership programs and advertising opportunities including journal ads, newsletter banners, new product listings, and exhibition booths at conferences. Sponsors receive visibility across SAS communications and events. The society maintains a tiered corporate partnership structure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Society for Applied Spectroscopy is a 501c3 nonprofit professional membership society that advances and disseminates knowledge of spectroscopy through tiered individual memberships, two peer-reviewed journals (Applied Spectroscopy and Applied Spectroscopy Practica), and the annual SciX conference held jointly with FACSS. It also produces webinars, short courses, awards, and a career center serving academic researchers, industrial spectroscopists, and students worldwide.

Product overview

The Society for Applied Spectroscopy offers a portfolio of two peer-reviewed journals as its primary publications: Applied Spectroscopy (the flagship monthly journal covering all aspects of spectroscopy) and Applied Spectroscopy Practica (a newer open-access journal focused on practical applications). These journals serve the global spectroscopy community including academic researchers, industrial scientists, and students. The society also provides membership services, training courses, webinars, career resources, and hosts conferences including SciX.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Applied Spectroscopy: Official peer-reviewed journal of the Society, published monthly, covering all aspects of spectroscopy
• Applied Spectroscopy Practica
• SciX

Products and services

• Applied Spectroscopy Journal
• Applied Spectroscopy Practica
• SAS Membership
• Distinguished Spectroscopist Invited Lecture Webinar Series
• SciX Annual Conference (with FACSS)
• SAS Career Center

Quantifiable outcome

• Two peer-reviewed journals with worldwide circulation covering all spectroscopy techniques
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SAGE Publications Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAS partnered with SAGE Publications for journal publishing. Applied Spectroscopy moved to SAGE publishing in January 2016, and Applied Spectroscopy Practica (open access) was launched in partnership with SAGE. SAGE handles printing, distribution, and some managerial services, while SAS retains editorial management.
• American Institute of Physics (AIP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAS became an affiliate member of AIP in 1966, with AIP assuming publishing responsibility for Applied Spectroscopy while editorial management remained with SAS. This affiliation continued until publishing transitioned to Williams & Wilkins/Waverly Press in 1971.
• Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAS has held its annual national meeting in conjunction with FACSS at their international conference SciX ('The Great Scientific Exchange') since 1974. SAS's President-Elect serves as a delegate to the FACSS Governing Board. Both organizations collaborate annually on this major spectroscopy conference.
• Coblentz SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Coblentz Society is an affiliated technical section of SAS and co-sponsors the Ellis R. Lippincott Award (along with SAS and Optica). The Coblentz Society also co-produces short courses with SAS (prefixed CSAS). Both societies collaborate on educational programming at SciX.
• Optica (formerly OSA - Optical Society of America)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOptica co-sponsors the Ellis R. Lippincott Award alongside SAS and the Coblentz Society. The award honors significant contributions to vibrational spectroscopy and is administered by Optica.
• International Atomic Spectrometry Association (IASA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIASA sponsors the IASA Student Award, given to up to 4 SAS student members who have excelled in Atomic Spectroscopy and present their work at SAS's National Meeting.
• Spectroscopy Magazine / Spectroscopy OnlinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAS collaborates with Spectroscopy Online to produce and distribute webinar content on spectroscopy topics including pharmaceutical analysis, atomic spectroscopy, molecular spectroscopy, and career development. Webinars are hosted on the Spectroscopy Online platform and are available on-demand.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Chemical Society (ACS): The largest scientific society in chemistry worldwide; publishes dozens of journals (including Analytical Chemistry, which overlaps heavily with spectroscopy), hosts major conferences, and offers awards that compete with SAS for members and authors in the spectroscopy sub-discipline.
• SPIE: International society for optics and photonics that hosts major conferences and publishes proceedings and journals covering spectroscopy techniques (Raman, IR, LIBS); competes with SAS for industry and academic participation in photonics conferences.
• Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC): UK-based chemistry society publishing leading analytical and spectroscopy journals (e.g., Analyst, JAAS), with international membership that overlaps with SAS's audience in academic and industrial analytical chemistry.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): Publisher of Science magazine and one of the world's largest general scientific societies; sets science policy and hosts events that absorb mindshare and membership from narrower discipline-specific societies like SAS.
• Optica (formerly OSA — Optical Society): Global society for optics and photonics that co-sponsors the Ellis R. Lippincott Award with SAS and publishes extensive spectroscopy-related content in journals such as Optics Express and Applied Optics; competes for members in laser and photon-based spectroscopy.

Direct peers

• Coblentz Society: A closely affiliated technical section of SAS focused specifically on vibrational spectroscopy; jointly awards the Ellis R. Lippincott Award with SAS and Optica and co-produces short courses (CSAS) at SciX. Operates as a sibling scholarly society in the same niche.
• Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS): Federation of multiple analytical chemistry and spectroscopy societies that operates the SciX annual conference jointly with SAS. Shares membership and mission overlap; the two organizations' destinies on SciX are tightly linked.
• ASTM International Committee E13 (Molecular Spectroscopy and Separation Science): Standards committee developing standardized methods in molecular spectroscopy; serves the same industrial and academic spectroscopists as SAS and publishes reference methods, training, and proficiency programs that compete for the same member attention.

Regional players

• International Astronomical Union (IAU): While a different discipline, IAU's spectroscopy working groups and journals cover astronomical spectroscopy techniques and represent an adjacent specialty community that publishes in overlapping spectroscopic methods.

Others

• International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC): Global standards-setting body for chemistry, including nomenclature and recommended methods in analytical/spectroscopic techniques; an enabling/standards organization that interacts with but does not directly compete with SAS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SocAppSpec
• Facebookfacebook.com/society-for-applied-spectroscopy-338103269260
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-for-applied-spectroscopy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Society for Applied Spectroscopy