The Board of Scientific Affairs (BSA) is the primary advisory body to the APA Science Directorate. Along with its committees and affiliated groups, BSA is concerned with all aspects of psychology as a science.

BSA is responsible for encouraging, developing and promoting psychology as a science. Its activities include: sponsoring scientific programming at the annual APA convention; overseeing APA awards and honors recognizing scientific contributions; advising on APA's relationships with other scientific organizations; providing guidance to APA government relations staff on issues related to research funding and policies; and proposing and refining new APA policies and activities for advancing psychological science.

Members of the Board of Scientific Affairs are selected by the APA Council of Representatives to represent the broad range of areas within the discipline. Current BSA members are listed below.

Continuing Committees Reporting to BSA

• Committee on Animal Research and Ethics (CARE)

• Committee on Human Research (CHR)

• Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment (CPTA)

• Committee on Scientific Awards (COSA)

Other Groups Affiliated with the BSA

• APA Science Student Council

BSA Reports

• Appointment, Tenure, Promotion, and Merit Review Considerations for Psychologists with Joint Faculty Appointments and Involvement in Interdisciplinary/Multidisciplinary Research and Scholarship: A Resource Document (PDF, 648KB)

Previous Ad Hoc Groups and Task Forces Convened by BSA 

• Task Force on the Interface Between Psychology and Global Climate Change

• Task Force to Recommend Changes to Convention That Would Appeal to Scientists

• Task Force for Increasing the Number of Quantitative Psychologists

• Advisory Group on Conducting Research on the Internet

• Task Force on Statistical Inference (TFSI)

• Joint Committee on Testing Practices (JCTP)