The Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) is a United States grassroots effort linking universities, scientific societies, science advocacy groups, science media, science educators, businesses, and industry in a consortium having as its goal a greater public understanding of the nature of science and its value to society. Its premise is that full public engagement in science is critical to the long-term social well-being of the American people.
COPUS is organizing the Year of Science 2009, in cooperation with the National Academy of Sciences.
COPUS is sponsored by the American Institute of Biological Sciences and the Geological Society of America.
The COPUS national office is located in Washington, D.C., hosted by the American Institute of Biological Sciences(AIBS).
Participants in the COPUS network, as of March 19, 2007 include:
Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical SurveysAlliance for ScienceAmerican Association of Physics TeachersAmerican Fisheries SocietyAmerican Institute of Biological SciencesAmerican Society of Human GeneticsAmerican Society of Plant BiologistsAmerican Sociological AssociationArizona Geological SurveyArkansas State UniversityBerkeley Natural History MuseumsBioOneBiotechnology InstituteBotanical Society of AmericaColorado Science ForumDenver Museum of Nature and ScienceGeological Society of AmericaHMS Beagle ProjectLouisiana State University Museum of Natural ScienceLyme Regis Fossil Festival - Rising SeasMassachusetts Society for Medical ResearchNational Academy of SciencesNational Center for Ecological Analysis and SynthesisNational Institute of General Medical SciencesNational Institutes of HealthNational Science Teachers AssociationNew York State MuseumPeabody Museum of Natural History at Yale UniversityPinellas County Environmental ManagementScience Education SolutionsSociety for Developmental BiologyUniversity of California Museum of PaleontologyUniversity of California PressUniversity of ConnecticutVisionlearningWonderfest