National Association of Science Writers

What National Association of Science Writers does

The National Association of Science Writers (NASW) is a private non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1934 and headquartered in Berkeley, California (P.O. Box 7905, Berkeley, CA 94707). It was established to improve the craft of science journalism and to promote good science reportage, and today it serves science writers, journalists, authors, editors, producers, institutional communicators, students, and related professionals across the United States. NASW runs a portfolio of member-facing programs including awards and grants (Science in Society Awards, Excellence in Institutional Writing Awards, Diane McGurgan Award, Peggy Girshman Idea Grants, travel fellowships, career grants, reporting grants, and diversity fellowships), a print and digital publication called ScienceWriters, and the annual ScienceWriters conference, which is described as the largest U.S. convening for science communicators. The organization also maintains operational committees (Freelance Committee, Education Committee, Freedom of Information Committee, Institutional Communicators Committee), regional science writing groups, mailing lists, and resources on digital safety, freelancing, and information access standards.

NASW's underlying technology is a conventional membership association stack: a Drupal-backed website at nasw.org hosting member directories, job postings, event registration, a "Find a Freelancer" service, a bookstore, and resource libraries; Mailchimp for email distribution; and standard web analytics. There are no proprietary AI/ML capabilities, no API platform, no mobile app, and no third-party integrations disclosed. Strategic partners include the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ), Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ), and Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW) for joint advocacy and co-hosted awards, plus the Authors Coalition and Freelancers Union for ancillary member services.

NASW generates revenue primarily through annual individual membership dues (subscription, billed annually), conference and event registration fees for ScienceWriters and its virtual skills/business chats, advertising on its website, Mailchimp newsletter, and print magazine, transactional fees from job postings and bookstore sales, and minor licensing/royalty distributions from the Authors Coalition based on member participation in genre surveys. Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed. The organization is governed by an elected board of directors, operates with 1-10 employees, and has no parent company, outside investors, or subsidiaries. Its go-to-market is community-led: member acquisition relies on professional community engagement, the annual conference, virtual programming, committee involvement, advocacy initiatives, and partnerships with adjacent journalism organizations.

Name

National Association of Science Writers

Legal name

The National Association of Science Writers, Inc.

Website

https://nasw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Association of Science Writers is a private non-profit professional membership association founded in 1934 that serves U.S. science writers, journalists, editors, producers, institutional communicators, and students through membership dues, the annual ScienceWriters conference, awards and grants, a Find a Freelancer job marketplace, advocacy coalitions, and member resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

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

Science, Technology & Gaming Magazines (MPAJAEAL), Medical, Scientific & Healthcare Congress Organizers (THAHACAD)

Keywords

• Science writing association
• Professional membership organization
• Science journalism awards
• Freelance writer resources
• Science communication events

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NASW generates revenue through annual membership dues from science writers, journalists, editors, and communicators. The organization offers various membership categories.
2. Event Registration: ScienceWriters annual conferences and virtual events generate revenue through registration fees. ScienceWriters2026 in Oregon is the largest U.S. convening for science communicators.
3. Advertising: NASW offers advertising opportunities on its website, in its Mailchimp newsletter, and in its print magazine (ScienceWriters).
4. Job Posting Service: The Find a Freelancer and Post a Job services provide revenue through job advertisement fees for employers seeking science, medical, or technical writers.
5. Bookstore Sales: NASW operates a ScienceWriters bookstore selling science writing resources and publications.
6. Authors Coalition Royalties: NASW participates in the Authors Coalition to distribute non-title-specific royalties from photocopies made outside the US, receiving funds based on member participation in genre surveys.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The National Association of Science Writers (NASW) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1934 that serves science writers, journalists, authors, editors, producers, institutional communicators, and students. It sells annual memberships, hosts the annual ScienceWriters conference (the largest U.S. convening for science communicators), operates a freelancer directory and job posting service, awards journalism prizes and grants, and publishes resources including a print magazine and digital content.

Product overview

The National Association of Science Writers offers a portfolio of member services centered on its core ScienceWriters publication and professional community. The organization provides a comprehensive suite of awards and grants (including Science in Society Awards, Excellence in Institutional Writing Awards, Travel Fellowships, Career Grants, Reporting Grants, Diversity Fellowships, Peggy Girshman Idea Grants, and the Diane McGurgan Award), job marketplace services (Find a Freelancer and Job Posting), an annual conference (ScienceWriters2026), and professional development resources including mailing lists, digital safety guidance, and information access standards. The ScienceWriters Bookstore offers supplementary publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NASW Membership
• ScienceWriters Annual Conference
• Find a Freelancer
• Job Posting Service
• Science in Society Awards
• Excellence in Institutional Writing Awards
• Diane McGurgan Award

Quantifiable outcome

• The ScienceWriters annual meeting is the largest U.S. convening for science communicators
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 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.

• Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026NASW joined an SPJ-led coalition of journalism organizations urging the Federal Government to reject a proposed rule making it permissible for federal agencies to require all new and current employees to sign nondisclosure agreements. This coalition represents a core advocacy partnership protecting press freedom and science communication.
• Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASW partners with SEJ on advocacy for science communication and press freedom, including joint letters to government officials on visa rules for foreign journalists and NDA policies affecting federal scientists.
• Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASW collaborates with AHCJ on freedom of information issues and science communication advocacy, including joint letters on visa rules and FOIA discussion list cooperation.
• Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASW and NASW co-host joint meetings (CASW/NASW Joint Meeting) and CASW manages the Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting, an award that NASW members have won.
• Authors CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASW participates in the Authors Coalition with other writer organizations to distribute non-title-specific royalties from photocopies made outside the US. Member participation in genre surveys determines NASW's share of coalition funds.
• Freelancers UnionminorOthersFreelancers Union partners with NASW for virtual business events. Jonathan Gray from Freelancers Union spoke at a NASW virtual business chat on small business insurance, providing benefits education to freelance science writers.
• Regional Science Writing GroupsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASW maintains a network of regional science writing groups including the Northern California Science Writers Association. These groups collaborate on local programming and events like virtual pitch swaps.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Poynter Institute: Poynter is a journalism education and training organization providing courses, training programs, and the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics. It represents an adjacent professional-development provider overlapping with NASW's training and skills development for working science writers, though via paid courses rather than membership.

Direct peers

• Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ): AHCJ is a peer nonprofit professional association serving journalists covering health and medicine. NASW collaborates with AHCJ on FOI and visa advocacy; both organizations operate membership models, journalism awards, and conferences serving specialized journalism beats with similar structures.
• Online News Association (ONA): ONA is a peer digital-journalism professional association providing membership, an annual conference (ONA22/ONA25), training, and awards. While focused on digital journalism rather than science specifically, ONA operates a near-identical professional-association business model with overlapping member services.
• Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE): IRE is a peer nonprofit professional membership organization serving investigative journalists. Both organizations operate similar models — membership dues, annual conferences, awards programs, training resources, and advocacy for journalism craft and press access.
• Authors Guild: Authors Guild is a peer professional membership association for published writers, providing contract advocacy, professional development, and legal resources. NASW participates in the Authors Coalition with the Authors Guild; both serve individual freelance and professional writers with comparable dues-based association models.
• Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ): SEJ is a peer professional association serving journalists covering environmental topics. NASW partners with SEJ on advocacy (visa rules, FOI issues) and both operate similar member services (conferences, awards, job boards) for journalism communities — directly comparable membership-association business model.
• Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW): CASW is the closest peer — a nonprofit dedicated to improving science writing quality and public understanding of science. NASW and CASW co-host joint meetings and CASW administers the Victor Cohn Prize, which NASW members have won; both organizations serve the same professional community with overlapping missions.

Broad incumbents

• Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ): SPJ is a much larger, established journalism professional association with broader scope than NASW. NASW partners with SPJ on press freedom coalition advocacy; SPJ offers overlapping membership services (awards, networking, advocacy) and represents a broader-incumbent comparator in the journalism-association space.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): AAAS is a much larger, established science organization that publishes Science magazine and supports science communication broadly. AAAS serves scientists themselves rather than journalists, making it a broader-incumbent in the science-communication ecosystem rather than a direct competitor for NASW members.

Others

• National Association of Science Teachers (NSTA): NSTA is a peer nonprofit professional membership association in the science ecosystem serving K-12 science teachers rather than science writers. While operating a similar membership model and conference/awards structure, it addresses an adjacent (education) rather than overlapping (journalism) segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sciencewriters
• Facebookfacebook.com/sciwri
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-association-of-science-writers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Association of Science Writers