Grants-in-Aid

Encouraging New Projects in History of Physical Science

AIP’s Grants-in-Aid support research in the history of the physical sciences. Most recipients are PhD candidates in the history of science, but recipients also include students and professionals in many disciplines, including economists, educators, and science writers. These grants support costs associated with archival research at the Niels Bohr Library & Archives and at other institutions. Grants-in-aid also support the conducting and processing of new oral history interviews.

Recipients of Grants-in-Aid may present lectures (currently via Zoom) about their results at the American Center for Physics or write articles for AIP’s History Newsletter.

Deadlines for receipt of applications: April 15 and November 15 of each year.

To apply

Grants are given to individual researchers, up to $2,500 USD each. Grant funds may only be used to reimburse:

  • Expenses for travel and subsistence to use the resources of the Niels Bohr Library & Archives in College Park, Maryland (easily accessible from Washington, DC; nearest airports are Reagan National Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Airport) or other relevant archives.
  • Expenses for travel and subsistence to either record oral history interviews or digitize archival materials
  • Expenses for research assistance (such as for an assistant or archive scanning fees) when archival travel is not possible.

Instructions for applying

Applicants should either be working toward a graduate degree in the history of science or be publishing in the field.

To apply, send the following materials by mail or email:

  • A curriculum vitae or resume
  • A letter or reference from your thesis adviser (if working towards a graduate degree) OR a record of publication in the field
  • A letter of no more than two pages describing your research project
  • A list of the persons to be interviewed and/or the archives and collections to be consulted
  • A brief budget showing the expenses for which support is requested. (N.B. Expenses will only be reimbursed after travel has been completed and all receipts have been submitted to the Center for History of Physics)

Questions and application materials should be addressed to:

Center for History of Physics
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse College Park, MD 20740
Phone: 301-209-3174
E-mail: [email protected]