APS International Travel Grant Award Program (ITGAP)

Started by scholarscope, Feb 02, 2011, 12:00 AM

scholarscope

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 upon completion of the award; this may be entered onto APS websites.
    * Bi-directionality: The trip can be in either direction, with preference given for travel from developing countries to developed countries.
    * 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.

Conditions and Criteria:
    * Collaborative visit must be for a period of at least one month.
    * One or both partners (co-applicants) in the collaboration 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; and
    * Invited talks to be delivered during the trip, especially talks at APS-sponsored meetings.

Need:
    * 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.

Program:
Awards are made on 6-month competitive cycles.  Since 2004, twenty-eight awards have been made over twelve cycles.   The next deadline will be announced in May/June 2011.

Applications are submitted online and should include the following items:
    * 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 which co-applicant is (are) a member(s) of the APS units that sponsor ITGAP (specifying all that apply)
    * Outline of the benefits of the proposal to junior scientists, students, or post-docs from a developing country
    * 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.

Source: APS International Travel Grant Award Program (ITGAP)