AIP Rapid Response Grants Support Member Societies Facing Federal Grant Cuts

In the spring of 2025, some AIP Member Societies were facing a crossroads. Cuts to federal funding impacted multiple programs across their organizations, calling for tough decisions to either cancel programs or find new ways to keep them afloat.

When AIP’s board of directors met in June, they talked about options for offering immediate stopgap support to societies that had lost federal funding. On a unanimous vote, they approved a plan to set aside $200,000 from AIP’s reserves that could be accessed by any Member Society that applied for help.

“Our Member Societies support physical scientists who dedicate their careers to the future of discovery and excellence in STEM,” said AIP CEO Michael Moloney. “At AIP, we are proud to stand with all our community members at all levels of their education and careers. Together, we are stronger.”

AIP quickly called for rapid-response grant proposals, and the review committee identified three Member Society programs to receive emergency funding from AIP.

The American Physical Society (APS) received $60,000 in support of its Conferences for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities in Physics , a program that helps build a more inclusive and vibrant physics community. This work was previously funded by grants from both the National Science Foundation and the Department of Education until earlier this year.

“We’re grateful to the American Institute of Physics for this support during a challenging time for the scientific community,” said APS CEO Jonathan Bagger. “By sustaining opportunities for students whose voices and talents are essential to the future of the scientific enterprise, we are able to carry forward our mission to strengthen physics and support those who will lead us to the next great discoveries.”

The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) received $140,000 for two programs, its Organization for Physics at Two-Year Colleges (OPTYCs) and Physics & Astronomy SEA Change programs. AIP is a current partner of the SEA Change program. Both organizations focus on creating learning environments where everyone in physics or astronomy programs can thrive.

“We are thrilled to receive AIP Rapid Response Grants to support the OPTYCs and Physics & Astronomy SEA Change programs,” said AAPT CEO Beth Cummingham. “Now more than ever, physics and astronomy programs and departments in institutions of higher education need support to broaden participation and raise the standards of excellence. By receiving funding from AIP, we can continue to invest in the future of scientific innovation and competitiveness for the entire physical science ecosystem.”

Community is crucial during this time of change. Being aware of and promoting the concerns and experiences of those affected in the physical sciences, especially those individuals who face the starkest barriers, is a key priority for AIP and its Member Societies.

“This stopgap funding is just one way AIP is supporting Member Societies during this time of disruption. We are also actively collecting data to understand better the rapidly changing environment the community is facing and finding stories of the impact of federal grant cancellation so that we can record this moment in scientific history,” Moloney noted.

AIP is also promoting Member Society initiatives that advocate for the sciences and hosts bi-monthly advocacy calls as a space to discuss the federal funding landscape.

Stay tuned to www.aip.org to learn more about how AIP and its Member Societies are meeting the moment in support of the physical sciences community.