National Association of Academies of Science

What National Association of Academies of Science does

The National Association of Academies of Science (NAAS) is a US-based not-for-profit federation founded in 1979 (tracing its lineage to a 1927 AAAS Academy Conference) and domiciled in Kentucky. It serves as the national membership organization for 47 state, regional, and community academies of science, with the explicit mission of promoting scientific inquiry, research experiences, and science education goals across its member network. NAAS does not operate a technology product; its core platform is the federation itself, supplemented by the MemberLeap association management system used for website, events, and membership administration.

NAAS's product and service portfolio is anchored by the American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS), the only US honor society recognizing premier high school students for outstanding scientific research, which convenes annually alongside the AAAS annual meeting. Surrounding this flagship are webinar-based Academy Chats for member peer learning, a Strategic Planning Grants program (funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation) providing $10,000 capacity-building awards to small academies, and a suite of operational toolkits covering governance, fundraising, policy engagement, programming, and membership management. The organization also operates individualized coaching services and, in 2026, launched its inaugural NAAS Leadership Summit in Chicago.

NAAS finances its activities through a tiered membership dues model ranging from $100 to $1,000 annually based on each member academy's reported IRS 990 revenue, supplemented by sponsorships (including from AAAS) and grants (most notably from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation). The organization is governed by a board of directors elected from member academies and operates with a four-person administrative team (Managing Director, Outreach Director, Program Manager & AJAS Coordinator, Administrative Manager), with partnerships spanning AAAS, Sigma Xi, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), NCSL, CUR, and SOA.

Name

National Association of Academies of Science

Legal name

National Association of Academies of Science

Website

https://academiesofscience.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NAAS is a US not-for-profit federation of 47 state, regional, and community academies of science, providing programs, grants, and toolkits to promote scientific inquiry and STEM education, anchored by the American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Membership Association

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

akta.pro primary industry

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Regional Education Service Agencies (ESAs/BOCES/Intermediate Units) (EDADABAC)

Keywords

• Science education federation
• STEM youth programs
• Membership association
• Research recognition
• Nonprofit science

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NAAS receives dues from its member academies to finance its activities. Annual membership dues are tiered based on organization annual revenue as reported on IRS 990 forms.
2. Sponsorships and Donations: The organization receives sponsorships and donations to support AJAS programs and operations. Sponsors include AAAS, corporate sponsors, and individual donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

National Association of Academies of Science (NAAS) is a not-for-profit membership federation of 47 state, regional, and community academies of science whose mission is to promote scientific inquiry, research experiences, and science education goals. Its flagship offering is the American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS), the only US honor society recognizing premier high school student researchers, complemented by member resources, Academy Chats webinars, strategic planning grants, coaching services, and the NAAS Leadership Summit.

Product overview

The National Association of Academies of Science (NAAS) operates as a federation of 47 state, regional, and community academies of science organized to promote scientific inquiry and science education goals. NAAS offers a portfolio of programs and services centered on its flagship American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) program, supplemented by professional development resources (Academy Chats webinars), grant programs (Strategic Planning Grants), and operational toolkits (Membership, Governance, Fundraising, Policy, and Programming resources). The organization also provides coaching services and organizes the NAAS Leadership Summit as a new member engagement event.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) The only US honor society recognizing America's premier high school students for outstanding scientific research. Each state's Academy of Science nominates students as AJAS delegates who attend the annual conference held in conjunction with the AAAS annual meeting. Introduces students to social, cultural, intellectual, and professional aspects of STEM professions through conferences, lab tours, and interactions with world-renowned scientists.
• Academy Chats A monthly webinar series serving as a platform for academy leaders and members to connect, featuring internal and external speakers with opportunities for best practice sharing and engagement on topics such as governance, science policy, fundraising, and junior academy programming.
• Strategic Planning Grants for Academies Technical assistance grants providing $10,000 awards for state Academies of Science to engage in strategic planning, including staffing support, coaching calls, and one in-person strategic planning visit. Awarded competitively, with six grants distributed in 2026.
• NAAS Leadership Summit An invitation-only 2-day gathering for NAAS Member Academies held in Chicago, IL ahead of the NCSL Legislative Summit. Features peer learning, strategy sessions, and networking aimed at shaping the future of the state science ecosystem.
• Coaching Services Individualized support to help academies identify key organizational needs, explore strategic next steps, and receive guidance on strengthening their impact through scheduled coaching calls.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ high school students empowered annually through AJAS program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 April 2024NAAS and Sigma Xi formed a coalition to promote scientific research, advance STEM education, and improve ethics in science. The MOU establishes partnership opportunities in membership, programs, publications, communications, and science policy. Sigma Xi has nearly 300,000 elected members including more than 200 Nobel laureates. The partnership includes joint webinar initiatives and collaboration on the Breakfast with Scientists program.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAAS is an affiliate member of AAAS, the largest scientific organization in the world and publisher of Science journal. AJAS meets annually in conjunction with the AAAS annual meeting. AAAS serves as an authoritative source for information on science developments and bridges gaps among scientists, policy-makers and the public to advance science and science education.
• Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership explored through Academy Chat session to discuss how CUR can support and collaborate with state academies, including programs relevant to recent AJAS delegates.
• National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAAS Leadership Summit 2026 is held in advance of the NCSL Legislative Summit in Chicago. Grant awardees are expected to attend the NCSL Summit as part of their strategic planning process.
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint workshop planned with NASEM at the NAAS Leadership Summit 2026 in Chicago, connecting member academies with national science leadership.
• STEMM Opportunity Alliance (SOA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationwide initiative committed to expanding and diversifying the STEMM workforce by 2050. NAAS explored partnership opportunities through Academy Chat session to align state-level DEI initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society: National scientific research honor society with ~300,000 members including 200+ Nobel laureates; a strategic MOU partner of NAAS since 2024. Operates a parallel member-based model promoting scientific research and STEM education, making it the closest peer in structure and mission orientation.
• Society for Science & the Public: Operates the Regeneron Science Talent Search, Broadcom MASTERS, and the International Science and Engineering Fair - the dominant national platforms for recognizing premier high school scientific researchers. Directly comparable to NAAS's AJAS mission of HS scientific research recognition and pipeline development.
• Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS): National non-profit dedicated to increasing STEM workforce pipeline through student engineering/technology challenges and awards. Operates in the same high-school STEM recognition niche as AJAS with overlapping target audience and educator base.
• Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR): National organization supporting faculty-mentored undergraduate research; explored as a collaboration partner with NAAS through Academy Chats. Comparable mission of fostering student research experiences across educational levels.
• National Science Teaching Association (NSTA): Largest national organization dedicated to science teaching and learning across K-12. Comparable because it serves a similar educator/member base focused on improving science instruction and student engagement in scientific inquiry.
• STEMM Opportunity Alliance: Nationwide coalition committed to expanding and diversifying the STEMM workforce by 2050; partnership explored via NAAS Academy Chats. Operates in a directly adjacent space of state-level STEM ecosystem coordination and workforce development policy.
• Science Olympiad: National STEM competition organization running tournaments at elementary, middle, and high school levels. Directly comparable to NAAS/AJAS in the student STEM engagement and recognition space, though focused on team-based competition rather than research presentation.

Broad incumbents

• National Geographic Society: Large non-profit science and exploration organization with robust education programs (including the GeoBee and educator grants). Comparable as a science-promotion non-profit with educational programming for students, though at much greater scale and broader audience.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): Largest general scientific organization in the world and publisher of Science; NAAS is an affiliate member and co-hosts the AJAS conference alongside the AAAS annual meeting. Much broader in scope and scale but operates a comparable science-promotion and science-policy mission.
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM): Congressional-chartered advisory body providing scientific guidance to the nation; partnered with NAAS for a joint workshop at the 2026 Leadership Summit. Operates at vastly greater scale but shares the mission of advancing science and connecting scientific communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-association-of-academies-of-science

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Association of Academies of Science