American Academy of Arts and Sciences, institution that sponsors projects designed to relate the intellectual resources of the learned professions to problems of science and of social and technical change. It was founded in 1780 in Boston, and its headquarters is now located in Cambridge. Included in its membership are more than 4,000 fellows and about 600 foreign honorary members, elected for their eminence in scholarship and their professional achievements. The academy publishes two quarterly journals, Daedalus and Bulletin; and a number of books, articles, and papers. It also awards prizes for accomplishment in arts and sciences.