Federation of American Scientists

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) is a science-policy nonprofit. It states that after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki "a group of atomic researchers, deeply concerned about the use of science for malice," formed the Federation of Atomic Scientists, which "soon became the Federation of American Scientists in recognition of the hundreds of scientists across diverse disciplines who joined." It works on "nuclear weapons, biological and chemical agents, and climate change," and on "a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver dramatic progress," and in 2025 extended its work to state and local governments. Through a Fiscal Sponsorship Program it provides "sponsorship and support for philanthropic endeavors" in science and technology policy.¹ The MacArthur Foundation gives its founding year as 1945.²

FAS hosts archives of government documents on intelligence and nuclear weapons, including the Senate report The BCCI Affair, with an editorial note by the archivist Steven Aftergood.³

Leadership

Daniel Correa is chief executive. He founded FAS's Day One Project, "a nonpartisan initiative focused on developing new ideas across science and technology policy" and "supporting scientists and technologists to serve in government." Earlier he led the Technology and Public Policy Project at the Freeman Spogli Institute of Stanford University; in 2017 established the Federal Innovation Council as an initiative of the Partnership for Public Service; spent four years under President Barack Obama as assistant director for innovation policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; and was the first employee of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. He holds a law degree from Yale Law School, a master's in economics from Yale University and a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College.⁴

Correa sits on the external board of the Institute for Progress, with Zachary Graves of the Foundation for American Innovation and Tamara Winter of Stripe Press.⁵

Artificial Intelligence

FAS states that it works "to ensure that government agencies have the technical assistance and talent needed to execute on AI priorities."⁶ In February 2025 the Future of Life Institute published a grant of 1,500,000 dollars to FAS "to investigate the implications of artificial intelligence on global risk," an 18-month project on "the nexus between AI and several global issues, including nuclear deterrence and security, bioengineering, autonomy and lethality, and cyber security-related issues."⁷

Divyansh Kaushik, who holds a doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University, was an FAS fellow from 2022 to 2023 and then associate director for emerging technologies and national security; his FAS biography later described him as "a former Senior Fellow." He helped establish the Congressional Graduate Research and Development Caucus.⁸⁹ In February 2024 Politico quoted him on the AI-safety groups then lobbying Congress, which he said were "trying to build more mature efforts to get in front of more members, make arguments that at least sound reasonable."¹⁰ On June 6, 2024, Beacon Global Strategies, which described itself as "a leading strategic advisory firm focusing on global public policy, government procurement, and geopolitical risk analysis," announced him as a vice president; its biography describes him as "a pivotal resource for Congress and the administration on emerging tech policy" and a non-resident senior fellow at American Policy Ventures and FAS.⁸

Finances

FAS files with the Internal Revenue Service under EIN 23-7185827. Its returns show the following (in dollars):¹¹

The MacArthur Foundation lists 30 grants to FAS totaling 11,510,500 dollars from 1984 to 2022, under its Nuclear Challenges program and its Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, the most recent being 125,000 dollars in 2022, 300,000 dollars in 2021 and 1,870,000 dollars in 2017.²