The New York Academy of Sciences is a membership organization with 20,000+ Members in 100 countries. They include research scientists at universities and industry, as well as representatives of business, government, and policy organizations. Their Board of Governors and President's Council include 28 Nobel laureates and other prominent leaders of academia and industry, based in New York and around the world.

The New York Academy of Sciences is the world's nexus of scientific innovation in the service of humanity. For nearly 200 years—since 1817—the Academy has brought together extraordinary people working at the frontiers of discovery and promoted vital links between science and society. One of the oldest scientific organizations in the United States, the Academy has become not only a notable and enduring cultural institution in New York City, but also one of the most significant organizations in the international scientific community.

Throughout its history, the Academy's Membership has featured leaders in science, business, academia, and government, including U.S. Presidents Jefferson and Monroe, Thomas Edison, Louis Pasteur, Charles Darwin, Margaret Mead, and Albert Einstein. Today, the Academy President's Council includes 29 Nobel Laureates as well as CEOs, philanthropists, and leaders of national science funding agencies.