International Travel Grant Award Program
Funding for collaborations between developed and developing country scientists is often insufficient to meet existing needs and opportunities. APS offers a travel grant to promote international scientific collaborations, especially between APS members and physicists in developing countries.
I. BackgroundFollowing 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.
* ITGAP sponsors:
- The APS Divisions of
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- Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (DAMOP)
- Astrophysics (DAP)
- Computational Physics (DCOMP)
- Materials Physics (DMP)
- Nuclear Physics (DNP)
- Physics of Beams (DPB)
- Particles and Fields (DPF)
- Plasma Physics (DPP)
- Polymer Physics (DPOLY)
- APS Forum on International Physics (FIP)
- APS Topical Group on Magnetism and its Applications (GMAG)
- APS Committee on International Scientific Affairs (CISA)
- APS Office of International Affairs
- U.S. Liaison Committee for the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP)
II. Purpose
Promote international scientific collaborations between APS members and physicists in developing countries.
III. Amount of the award
Up to US$2,000 for travel and lodging expenses for international travel while visiting a collaborator.
IV. Features
Once awarded, the time limit on the use of the award will be a maximum of 5 years.
B. Report
A report, with a 300 word public abstract, is required upon completion of the award; this report will be entered onto APS websites.
C. Bi-directionality
The trip can be in either direction, with preference given for travel from developing countries to developed countries.
D. Preference
Support for the growth of existing collaborations will be given preference over new ones, a measure of the former, for example, being joint publications.
V. Conditions and Criteria
A collaborative visit must be for a period of at least one month. One or both partners (co-applicants) in the collaboration must be APS members of at least one of the supporting APS units (FIP, DAMOP, DAP, DCOMP, DMP, DNP, DPB, DPF, DPP, DPOLY, or GMAG). When rank-ordering applications, consideration will be given to:
- Past record of research accomplishments and promise of future accomplishments; and
- Invited talks to be delivered during the trip, especially talks at APS-sponsored meetings.
- Under-represented countries and ethnic groups will be given priority; and
- Resources available from other sources with matching funds (leverage) will be considered as a positive factor while potential support available, but not sought, from other sources as a negative factor.
VI. Program
Awards will be made on 6-month competitive cycles. Eighteen awards have been made during the first eight cycles. The next application deadline will be announced in the fall of 2009.
- Narrative proposal of 5000 character (maximum);
- Lists of up to 5 most relevant publications of the two co-applicants;
- Statement of financial support provided from an appropriate representative of other sources (leverage);
- Statement of who is (are) the member(s) of APS units (specifying all that apply - FIP, DAMOP, DAP, DCOMP, DMP, DNP, DPB, DPF, DPP, DPOLY, and GMAG);
- Outline of the benefits of the proposal to junior scientists, students, or post-docs from a developing country; and
- Description of the travel plan and budget.
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.
VII. Longer-term program
FIP and 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.
VIII. Acknowledgment of Financial Support
APS Forum on International Physics
APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
APS Division of Astrophysics
APS Division of Computational Physics
APS Division of Materials Physics
APS Division of Nuclear Physics
APS Division of Physics of Beams
APS Division of Particles and Fields
APS Division of Plasma Physics
APS Division of Polymer Physics
APS Topical Group on Magnetism and its Applications
APS Office of International Affairs
U.S. Liaison Committee of IUPAP
List of ITGAP Recipients
