2022 Annual Report Banner - Looking Beyond - image is from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope

Looking Beyond

As we looked back on 2022, we settled on the theme, “Looking Beyond” for this annual report because we were elated to be finally looking beyond COVID-19. But “looking beyond” means so much more. After celebrating our first 100 years in 2021, Society for Science is now looking beyond our Centennial to the next 100 years. Looking beyond our own organization—thanks to the discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope—this year we had the pleasure of looking beyond anything we’ve ever seen before in the cosmos.

Learn more in the Welcome Letter by Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of the Society for Science and Executive Publisher of Science News, and Mary Sue Coleman, Chair of the Society’s Board of Trustees.

Side-by-side headshots of Maya Ajmera and Mary Sure Coleman

COMPETITIONS

Regeneron STS

After two years of virtual competitions, the 2022 Regeneron Science Talent Search was hosted fully in person under strict COVID-19 protocols. The winners were selected from over 1,800 applicants from 603 high schools across 46 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and eight other countries.

 

Amber Luo, 3rd place winner pictured in front of the Capitol Hill steps with other STS finalists in 2022

Regeneron ISEF

One thousand seven hundred and fifty young scientists hailing from 49 states and 63 countries, territories and regions came together to compete in the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, where they won nearly $8 million in awards and scholarships. Hosted in a partially in-person format, roughly two-thirds of the finalists convened in Atlanta, Georgia, while the rest connected virtually from around the globe.

entrance hall of Atlanta convention center for 2022 ISEF

Broadcom MASTERS

For the first time in three years, the Broadcom MASTERS was held in person, welcoming 30 innovative middle school students from across the U.S. to Washington, D.C. for a week of STEM exploration and team-based challenges.

2022 Top Award Winners, Broadcom MASTERS

WELCOME

In August, Thermo Fisher Scientific was named the new title sponsor of the Society’s middle school STEM competition. The sponsorship, which began in 2023, makes the company only the third title sponsor in the competition’s 25-year history.

Previously sponsored by the Broadcom Foundation, the competition will now be called the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge

JOURNALISM

Science News Media Group

Take a look back at some of the highlights of Science News Media Group’s coverage in 2022, from the James Webb Space Telescope’s dazzling images, to how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine impact has impacted global science to how millions of people afflicted with long COVID have struggled to find treatment.

We also launched a new magazine! The Science News Explores print magazine debuted in 2022. It was created to help young people and their families follow their curiosity.

2022 Science News and Science News Explores magazine covers

OUTREACH AND EQUITY

Advocate Program

The Advocate Program provides training, equipment and year-round support to mentors working with underrepresented and low-income students. In 2022–2023, 84 educators from 36 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Mexico served as Advocates.

Research Teachers Conferences

In 2022, the Society once again brought together science educators from across the country to share best practices in a pair of peer-led conferences, the High School Research Teachers Conference and Middle School Research Teachers Conference.

Science News Learning

Following a successful middle school pilot program, the Science News in High Schools program changed its name to Science News Learning and delivered STEM learning materials reaching up to 5 million students, 17,000 educators and more than 5,000 schools in 2022.

STEM Action Grants

Through the STEM Action Grant program, the Society distributed $176,000 in grants to 45 nonprofits in 2022, across 22 states and Washington, D.C.—the largest pool of recipients to date.

STEM Research Grants

Through the STEM Research Grant program, the Society awarded $135,000 to 95 middle and high school science educators during the 2021–2022 school year to help their students conduct scientific research outside the classroom.

ALUMNI

Celebrating Our Alumni Community

In honor of the Society for Science’s centennial year, we unveiled a list of extraordinary alumni of our Science Talent Search, International Science and Engineering Fair and middle school STEM competition who embody the principles of leadership, innovation and global impact. The list of more than 100 Society alumni includes Nobel laureates, entrepreneurs, MacArthur Fellows, pioneers, National Medal of Science and Technology recipients and even Emmy and Oscar winners.

Notable Alumni banner

LEADERSHIP

GIVING

Individual Donors

Thank you to all our sponsors, members, donors, subscribers, volunteers and other contributors. We are grateful for your support—together, we put the power and wonder of science into everyone’s hands.

Institutional Donors

Thank you to all the organizations that provide the Society with significant financial contributions. Your generous support sparks the passion, excitement and wonder at the discoveries taking place all around us.

FINANCIALS

Expanding our Impact

Society for Science operates within three broad areas of program work: (1) science journalism, (2) world-class science competitions for high school and middle school students and (3) outreach and equity programming. In 2022, 85 cents of every dollar spent by the Society supported program work. General and administrative costs accounted for 7 cents of every expense dollar, and fundraising costs equaled 8 cents of every expense dollar.

Past Annual Reports

2021

2021 Annual Report

2020

2020 Annual Report

2019

2019 Annual Report

2018

2018 Annual Report