APS-Simons Travel & Professional Development Awards

Collaboration is the lifeblood of science and travel is often critical to the formation of successful partnerships. As we work to build a more equitable and inclusive environment for physics, we must ensure that opportunities for collaboration and meeting participation are broadly available.

An analysis of APS Meetings data shows that students and faculty from primarily undergraduate and minority-serving institutions (MSIs) generally have fewer travel opportunities. This discrepancy is attributed to limited resources, with disparities observed in professional development funds for faculty in non-doctorate-granting academic departments and those not in tenure-track positions.The APS-Simons Travel & Professional Development Awards are designed to fill the gap by offering travel support and professional development funding to those affected by these inequities.

Description

This program provides awards of up to $8,400 to faculty members who would otherwise have limited access to travel and professional development support. Funds may be used for the faculty member (awardee), their students, or their post-doctoral researchers to participate in professional meetings, to support research collaborations, or to advance STEM education collaborations. Funds may be administered as an award to the awardee’s department or as a taxable stipend to the awardee. Up to 10% of the award may be given to the awardee’s institution for overhead costs, at the discretion of the institution. Funds apply to future activities.

Eligibility

Awards will be directed toward faculty in non-doctorate-granting physics departments, physics faculty at MSIs, and physics faculty who are not currently in tenure-track positions. Awardees must not have any major funding that includes travel awards at the time of submission. Applicants do not need to be APS members to apply.

Application Requirements

The application will consist of a template describing:

• The applicant’s home department and institution.
• The applicant's professional CV.
• The applicant's current funding resources for academic activities (research, professional development, etc.).
• The proposed travel to be supported by the funds. At least one of the trips proposed by the applicant should include inclusive professional development activities, such as attending a workshop.
• A statement of preference for whether the funds should be administered to the applicant’s institution or given directly to the applicant as a taxable stipend.
• Should the applicant’s home institution require overhead, up to 10% of the budget may be allocated as such.

Note:

• Should the applicant’s home institution require overhead, up to 10% of the budget may be allocated as such.
• Applicants do not need to be APS members to apply. Successful applicants will receive a free one-year APS membership.

Reporting Requirements

Awardees will be expected to submit a brief summary of their activities two years after the award is awarded, including a description of the award’s impact on their career and on the educational and career preparation of their students. Where possible, reports should include visuals for future marketing and impact assessments.

Deadlines

Applications will open spring 2024 and will be accepted on a rolling basis. Check back for updates!

Contact

If you have questions, please email the APS-Simons Travel & Professional Development Awards team.

Nominees for and holders of APS Honors (prizes, awards, and fellowship) and official leadership positions are expected to meet standards of professional conduct and integrity as described in the APS Ethics Guidelines. Violations of these standards may disqualify people from consideration or lead to revocation of honors or removal from office.