American Association for Aerosol Research

American Association for Aerosol Research
Name	American Association for Aerosol Research
Abbreviation	AAAR
Formation	1977
Type	Professional society
Headquarters	United States
Fields	Aerosol science, Atmospheric chemistry, Environmental health

Contents

American Association for Aerosol Research is a professional society dedicated to the study of aerosol science, atmospheric particles, and particulate matter with links to environmental health, air quality, and nanotechnology. The association connects researchers across academia, industry, and federal laboratories including collaborations with institutions such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institutes of Health, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It fosters interdisciplinary exchange among experts affiliated with universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and University of Minnesota.

History

The organization emerged in the late 20th century alongside growing scientific attention to aerosols following work by investigators at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Early leaders included scientists who had affiliations with National Academy of Sciences, Royal Society, American Geophysical Union, and European Geosciences Union. The association’s formation paralleled regulatory and research milestones such as initiatives by the Environmental Protection Agency on particulate standards, studies tied to the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, and international programs like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments, reflecting crosslinks with researchers at University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, ETH Zurich, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, and CSIC.

The association’s mission emphasizes advancing aerosol science through research, education, and application. Objectives align with fostering collaborations among investigators from Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, University of Washington, Yale University, and Princeton University; promoting standards observed by organizations such as International Organization for Standardization, American Society for Testing and Materials, and World Health Organization; and supporting science that informs policy makers at United Nations Environment Programme, World Meteorological Organization, and national agencies including Department of Energy and National Science Foundation.

Membership comprises academic faculty, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, government researchers, and private-sector scientists associated with entities like Boeing, General Electric, Siemens, 3M, and DuPont. Governance includes an elected board and officers who have held positions comparable to leaders in American Chemical Society, American Physical Society, Royal Society of Chemistry, and Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Committees mirror structures found in organizations such as National Research Council panels and international bodies like International Aerosol Conference, with liaison roles to agencies like EPA and foundations including Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation.

Annual meetings convene researchers presenting work on measurement techniques, modeling, and health effects, featuring speakers from institutions such as Brookhaven National Laboratory, CERN, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, NOAA, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The conference program often parallels sessions seen at American Geophysical Union Fall Meetings, European Aerosol Conference, International Society for Aerosols in Medicine gatherings, and workshops hosted by Royal Society and National Academy of Engineering. Special symposia have focused on topics linked to projects like Atmospheric Radiation Measurement, MILAGRO, AERONET, and C-TRAIN.

The association supports dissemination of research through proceedings and connections to journals edited by scholars at Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, American Chemical Society journals, and specialty periodicals associated with Journal of Geophysical Research, Atmospheric Environment, Environmental Science & Technology, and Aerosol Science and Technology. It confers awards recognizing lifetime achievement and early-career contributions, analogous to honors given by Royal Society, National Medal of Science, MacArthur Fellowship, and professional prizes administered by American Meteorological Society and American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Programs promote training of graduate students and postdocs from universities such as University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Purdue University, Cornell University, University of Colorado Boulder, and University of Michigan, including summer schools and short courses similar to those run by CERN Summer Student Programme and NCAR Advanced Study Program. Research priorities include aerosol-cloud interactions studied in collaborations with Scripps Institution of Oceanography and UK Met Office, emissions and exposure projects tied to California Air Resources Board and city programs in New York City and Los Angeles, and laboratory investigations at facilities like Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Partnerships span international agencies such as World Health Organization and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, standards bodies including ISO, and national regulators like EPA and Department of Transportation. The association’s scientific synthesis has informed particulate matter guidance referenced by policy bodies in European Commission, public health advisories by World Health Organization, and technical standards developed by ASTM International and American National Standards Institute. Collaborations with industrial stakeholders and NGOs—ranging from Clean Air Task Force to corporate research labs at Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson—help translate aerosol science into applications addressing public health, climate, and technology innovation.

Category:Scientific societies Category:Aerosol science