International Travel Grant Award Program

Background

Following the initiative of the APS Forum on International Physics (FIP), the sponsors of the APS International Travel Grant Award Program (ITGAP) recognize that funding for collaborations between developed and developing country scientists is often insufficient to meet existing needs and opportunities.

While the needs are great, and though we have only limited resources to stimulate growth of longer-term collaborations, we believe that an International Travel Grant Award Program, even a modest one, may make a significant difference.

Purpose

Promote international scientific collaborations between APS members and physicists in developing countries.
 

Award Amount

Up to US$2,000 for travel and lodging expenses for international travel while visiting a collaborator.
 

Features

• Time Limit
    Once awarded, the time limit on the use of the award will be a maximum of 5 years.
   
• Report
  A report with a 300 word public abstract is required after the award is completed. APS may post some of the information from your report online.
  Report instructions 
   
• Bi-Directionality
  The trip can be in either direction. Preference given to travel from developing countries to developed countries.
   
• Preference
  Support for the growth of existing collaborations will be given preference over new ones. An example of an existing collaboration is joint publications. 

Conditions and Criteria

• Collaborative visit must be for a period of at least one month
• One or both co-applicants must be an APS member and a member of at least one of the APS units that sponsors ITGAP
• One co-applicant must be from a developing country, and the other must be from a developed country

When rank-ordering applications, consideration will be given to:

Merit

• Past record of research accomplishments and promise of future accomplishments
• Invited talks to be delivered during the trip, particularly at APS-sponsored meetings

Need

• Under-represented countries and ethnic groups will be given priority
  

Other Funding

• Resources from other sources with matching funds (leverage) is a positive factor
• Not seeking other available potential support is considered a negative factor

Apply Online

The next deadline is 16 July 2013. Applications should be submitted online and include the following information:

• Narrative proposal of 5,000 characters (maximum), including:
• • Explanation in detail of the role of the principals in the in the collaboration
  • Explanation of the expertise or facilities that each co-applicant brings to the proposal
  • Description of how the collaboration became established
    
• Lists of up to 5 of the most relevant publications of each of the two co-applicants, including papers co-authored by the co-applicants, if relevant
• Statement of financial support from an appropriate representative of other sources (leverage)
• Indicate which co-applicant is a member of one of the APS units that sponsors ITGAP (specify which unit)
• Outline of benefits to junior scientists, students, or post-docs from a developing country (2,000 characters maximum)
• Description of the travel plan and budget (2,000 characters maximum)

Applications received will be considered active for the current cycle alone without restricting re-application in subsequent cycles.  The Executive Committee of FIP, with assistance from CISA, the APS Office of International Affairs, and other sponsoring APS units, will be responsible for managing the review process.  Confidentiality of the reviews is assured.

Awards

Awards are made on 6-month competitive cycles.  Since 2004, forty-seven grants have been awarded. 
ITGAP Recipients 2004 - Present

ITGAP Program Funding

FIP and the APS Committee on International Scientific Affairs (CISA) invite funding partners to either continue this program or co-develop new programs that meet our combined objectives. We especially seek support of additional APS units.  Larger awards with broader aims and relaxing the restriction on APS membership are anticipated.

Financial Supporters

• APS Forum on International Physics (FIP)
  
• APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (DAMOP)
  
• APS Division of Astrophysics (DAP)
• APS Division of Biological Physics (DBIO)
  
• APS Division of Computational Physics (DCOMP)
  
• APS Division of Condensed Matter Physics (DCMP)
• APS Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD)
  
• APS Division of Laser Science (DLS)
  
• APS Division of Materials Physics (DMP)
  
• APS Division of Nuclear Physics (DNP)
  
• APS Division of Physics of Beams (DPB)
  
• APS Division of Particles and Fields (DPF)
  
• APS Division of Plasma Physics (DPP)
  
• APS Division of Polymer Physics (DPOLY)
  
• APS Topical Group on Magnetism and its Applications (GMAG)
  
• APS Office of International Affairs
  
• U.S. Liaison Committee of IUPAP