The APS Innovation Fund

As part of the recently adopted APS Strategic Plan: 2019 APS has launched a new program—the APS Innovation Fund (IF)—to foster collaborative partnerships that support the interests of the physics community. An IF announcement email went to all APS members on February 7, 2019. The deadline for preliminary proposals is March 18. To download the preliminary proposal form, visit the IF webpage.

APS members may submit proposals to work with APS staff in developing innovative activities in areas of public engagement, advocacy, education, diversity, and careers, among many others. The 3–5 projects that are ultimately selected will be funded for up to two years with grants ranging from $25,000–$100,000 per year. After two years, funded projects will end, obtain outside funding, or be deemed important enough to be integrated into APS’s operating budget.

The IF process begins with a brief preliminary proposal. Members need to identify an APS unit or committee, which will be asked to provide a brief statement of support. APS staff will also assist by preparing a comment regarding impacts on staffing and existing programs.

Investigators whose preliminary proposals are selected in the first phase will be invited to submit 5-page full proposals.

The proposals will be reviewed by the APS Innovation Fund Committee, which will assess applications against four standards: proposals must be relevant, beneficial, innovative, and measurable.

The proposals must be new concepts and not continuations of current APS activities. The fund will not support physics research or the salaries of graduate students and staff running existing efforts.

Important Deadlines

March 18, 2019: Deadline for submission of preliminary proposals
March 18 - 25, 2019: Units and Committees are contacted for comment on pre-proposals
April - May 2019: Proposals are reviewed by the APS Innovation Fund Committee
May 2019: Finalists are notified and asked to develop a full proposal in collaboration with APS staff
June 15, 2019: Deadline for finalists to submit full proposals
August 2019: Grant recipients are notified

APS Innovation Fund Committee: 2019 APS President David Gross (co-chair), APS Director of Project Development Theodore Hodapp (co-chair), 2019 Speaker-Elect of the APS Council Andrea Liu (University of Pennsylvania), APS Chief Government Affairs Officer Francis Slakey, and 2019 Speaker of the APS Council John Rumble (R&R Data Services).