Matt Hourihan is the director of the Research and Development Budget and Policy Program at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

He is a regular source of information and analyses on past, present, and future science budgets for policymakers and the science community in his role at AAAS, an international nonprofit organization that seeks to "advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people."

Before joining AAAS in December 2011, Hourihan served as a clean energy policy analyst at the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF). At ITIF, he tracked federal energy R&D investments and innovation activities and authored several white papers and policy briefs exploring the role of innovation in solving the nation’s energy and climate challenges. He also regularly coordinated congressional briefings, conferences, and events, bringing together leading experts in government, industry, and academia.

Previously, he served as Jan Schori Fellow at the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, a coalition of energy firms and utilities working to engage policymakers for market-based solutions to sustainable energy development and climate change. As a student, he interned with the AAAS Center for Science, Technology and Congress.

Hourihan earned a master’s degree in public policy with a focus on science and technology policy at George Mason University and a BA in journalism from Ithaca College. Before graduate school, he spent five years working as a cause communications professional at the Ocean Conservancy and Service Employees International Union, and as a journalist.