2024 Funded Projects:
In 2024, AIP distributed ~$320,000 in Venture grants to support Member Society projects, some of which had Affiliate partners:
- AAPM
Enhancing Radiation Risk Communication: Empowering Patients, Providers, and the Community
To develop a comprehensive plan to inform patients, providers and the public about radiation risk, while incorporating the principles of science diplomacy. Outcomes include ensuring patient safety, informed decision-making and strengthening public trust in radiation science. - AAPT
Creating a Culture of Teaching as Scholarly Work Among Physicists
To develop well-respected, open-access databases for publishing lessons and support instructors contributing to them, to garner support and recognition of teaching and curriculum development as scholarly activities. - APS
Addressing Anti-Diversity Legislation at the Federal Level
To initiate a broader response of coordinated federal advocacy activities, engaging the membership of multiple societies in a concerted lobbying effort to push back on anti-DEI legislation and legislative provisions. - APS (lead), with Optica, AAPT, and NSBP
Promoting Equity and Excellence in Physics and Astronomy Education via Workshops
To run a 4-semester long virtual workshop series for faculty, future faculty and other stakeholders to advance equity and excellence in education throughout the physics and astronomy communities. - SOR
Rheologically Trained Interactive Language Toolbox – “RheoTILT”
To develop a prototype for an interactive and conversational toolbox for the Society of Rheology based on large language models and automatic speech recognition to aims to reliably disseminate state-of-the-art knowledge and multimedia content. - Continued projects: From 2023, Science Trust, Green Meetings in a Post-COVID World, Equity Assessment / From 2021, Collective Action on DEI, Solar Eclipses, Vacuum Course Content.
2023 Funded Projects:
In 2023, AIP distributed over $339,000 in Venture grants to support Member Society projects:
- AMS
Green Meetings in a Post-Covid World
To become a thought leader on planning and executing green meetings and help other AIP Member Societies and Affiliates fulfill the recommendations related to environmental stewardship put forth in the FACETS report. - AMS
Equity Assessment
To collect and analyze longitudinal data through a quantitative and qualitative Culture Survey to understand membership demographics, and identify equity, inclusion, and justice (EIJ) successes and challenges; and to develop an EIJ strategic plan with goals, strategies, metrics, and benchmarks to fully integrate EIJ into AMS’s overall strategic plan and evaluate its impact over time. - APS
Science Trust
To address science misinformation, particularly around climate change, with the long-term goals of (1) empowering AIP societies’ membership to address scientific misinformation in their professional and personal lives and (2) developing a better understanding of the impact of membership participation in addressing misinformation. - Continued projects from 2022: Collective Action on DEI, AMPERE, Solar Eclipses, Crystallography Video Library, Career-Counselling Portal, Conference Presentations/Shareable Software, REU in Acoustics, Vacuum Course Content.
2022 Funded Projects:
In 2022, AIP distributed over $322,000 in Venture grants to support Member Society projects, some of which had Affiliate partners:
- AAPT (lead), with AAS, APS, AVS, NSBP, NSHP and Optica
Physics & Astronomy SEA Change Pilot Project – Cohort 2
To build off the success of its Physics & Astronomy SEA Change project. Additional funding will help academic departments perform self-assessments and develop action plans to improve their culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. - AAPT (lead), with AAS, APS and AIP
Collective Action by AIP Member Societies on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programming for Physics and Astronomy Departments
To develop a framework for collective action in the area of DEI programming for AIP MS and Affiliates and help identify areas for taking joint actions, avoiding duplication of effort, and launching new programs (i.e. where there are gaps). This project will also develop a better understanding of what extent physics and astronomy departments are aware of and utilize the various DEI programs offered by the AIP MS and Affiliates. - AAPM
Increasing Access to Medical Physics Education and Research Excellence (AMPERE) for Global Health
To conduct a survey on the needs of medical physicists in low-and-middle income countries, helping identify resources that could raise the level of healthcare workers worldwide. - AAS (lead), with AAPT, AMS, Optica, and SPS
Engaging America in the Solar Eclipses of 2023 & 2024
To increase its capacity for engaging the public ahead of the 2023 and 2024 solar eclipses that will be seen by most of North America. Funding will allow for AAS’ eclipse-planning workshops to include a professional development component, as well as the creation of public-service announcements about proper eye-safety measures, how to safely capture eclipse images, and more. AAS will partner with AAPT on eclipse education, AMS on eclipse climatology and weather, Optica on viewing safety, and SPS on outreach in local communities around the eclipse paths. - ACA
Crystallography Educational Video Library
To develop a library of online lectures and course material on the basics of the primary techniques of structural science to further its reach to younger and more remote audiences. - AMS
Online Career Counseling Portal
To pilot a career counseling portal, where its members can receive guidance to be better prepared and more successful at securing employment in weather, water, and climate science. The Career Counseling Portal will include real-time connections with a personalized service, as well as provide counseling on securing tenure and certifications. - Members of APS (lead), with Optica
Resources for High-Quality Narration of Conference Presentations and Sharable Software
To help assess and develop resources for high-quality narration of conference presentations and shareable software, which will help presenters optimize their presentations for virtual and hybrid meetings. (Awarded to individual members.) - ASA
Summer Undergraduate Research or Internship Experience in Acoustics (REU)
To grow its new Summer Undergraduate Research/Internship Experience in Acoustics, which places undergraduate students of color with a paid summer experience working on an acoustics project in academia or industry, by supporting a week-long, preparatory short course for participants to lay the foundation for their experience and inform them about acoustics-related careers and the ASA community. - AVS (lead), with AAPT
Concept Development to Expand Vacuum Technology Course Content in Secondary Education for Historically Underserved Communities
To develop a concept around reaching high schools in historically underserved communities with course content around vacuum and vacuum-related technologies, tailored to the specific needs and opportunities.
2021 Funded Projects:
- Continued projects from 2020 STEM Equity Achievement (SEA) Change (2-year project)
2020 Funded Projects:
- ASA
International Year of Sound
Outreach activities will raise public awareness of the importance of sound in all aspects of life on earth and will work towards an understanding of sound-related issues. - AAPT/AAS/APS
STEM Equity Achievement (SEA) Change (2-year project)
To promote institutional change around diversity, equity, and inclusion. The project will develop a proof of concept for the SEA Change departmental award program, test the application and award structures, and refine the oversight and funding model. - AAPT
AAPT/AIP Master Instructional Leader Policy Fellowship - Underrepresented Teachers of Physics
The Fellowship partners early career or preservice Physics teachers from underrepresented populations with more established Physics teachers who are also from underrepresented populations to build a community of experts all working to increase diversity of Physics teachers, and the broader field of Physics. - Continued projects from 2019: Medical Physics Workforce Needs, Diversity Initiative
2019 Funded Projects:
- AAPM
Diversity and Inclusion Videos Project
This project will produce a series of videos featuring a diverse group of medical physicists, with the goal of encouraging more diversity among those interested in pursuing a career in medical physics.
- ASA/APS
Science Writers’ Boot Camp
Funds support a new workshop that brings together science journalists and research scientists, to help the journalists to cover new science and to introduce scientists to the fundamentals of science journalism.
- AAS/AMS/ASA
Building Infrastructure for ComSciCon
This project entails a two-day workshop hosted by AIP that will pilot a regular convening of students and society staff to build leadership capacity in science communications.
- AAPM
Medical Physics: Future Workforce Needs (2-year project)
This innovative project will generate a data-driven assessment of current and future workforce needs in diagnostic medical physics.
- SoR
Diversity Initiative (2-year project)
In partnership with AIP, the Society of Rheology will undertake a series of steps to understand the diversity of the rheology field and then institute strategic effort at making rheology more diverse and inclusive. - Continued projects from 2018: Vacuum Technology videos, Ask-the-Expert, Data Carpentry, Master Teachers
2018 Funded Projects:
- OSA/APS
The International Day of Light at ARTECHOUSE
An innovative art installation and outreach initiative to celebrate optics, light, and photonics.
- AVS
Developing Quality Videos for Vacuum Technology Education Purposes (2-year project)
This set of videos will enhance and augment pre-college teachers’ understanding science of and in a vacuum.
- AAPM
Development of an “Ask-the-Expert" website (2-year project)
This public facing website will provide reliable information to patients and others who need to understand the science, technology, and other questions behind various physics-based medical tools used in cancer and other diseases.
- AAS
Developing a Data Carpentry Curriculum for Astronomers and Physicists (2-year project)
This project will provide an introduction to the tools used in handling big data for researchers to use as they “build” their science.
- AAPT
AAPT/AIP Master Teacher Policy Fellows (2-year project)
This program will train teachers to be advocates at the local level for sound science education policy. - Continued projects from 2017: Communicating Science, Industrial Physics, Career Pathways, Rheology outreach
2017 Funded Projects:
- AAS
Bringing communicating science (ComSciCon) workshops to AIP Member Society graduate students. (2-year project)
This project will train graduate student members of AIP Member Societies in improving their science communication skills for public outreach.
- APS
The Impact of Industrial Physics on the US Economy (2-year project)
The goal of this project is to prepare a report on the impact of industrial physics on the U.S. economy and U.S. technology excellence.
- AAPT/APS
Career Pathways project collaboration (2-year project)
This project will facilitate the formation of a joint collaboration between AAPT, APS, and SPS that will update the current career toolbox for undergraduate students and construct a new toolbox focused on graduate students.
- OSA/APS
Speakeasy Science
The program will leverage the DC Science Writers Association membership and other journalists based in Washington to connect scientists with journalists.
- SOR
Panta Rei: The development of rheology-focused K12 outreach events (2-year project)
The goal of the project is to develop and widely disseminate a series of outreach activities based on the field of rheology.
Pre-proposals for funding in 2022 are due June 1, 2022.
More information on the AIP Venture Grant Program and application process.