FW: Chapter Fun and Funding Opportunities ...
Acioli, Paulo
-----Original Message-----
From: Gary White [mailto:gwh...@aip.org]
Sent: Wed 4/1/2009 10:01 AM
To: Acioli, Paulo
Subject: Chapter Fun and Funding Opportunities ...
Greetings, SPS Leaders!
I thought I should feature the Meggers Award in this e-mail, since I'm sure that many of you might have ideas for working with high school teachers that might be funded by Meggers (typically $10K). There are several other cool opportunities for your students below as well. Indulge a little! Take care, Gary
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1. Working with high-school physics teachers in the classroom? The Meggers Award might be right for you. Apply by April 15th for up to $25K in funding! See below or http://www.meggersaward.org/
2. The Blake Lilly Prize is a modest prize that showcases how your outreach efforts have been appreciated. http://www.spsnational.org/programs/awards/lilly.htm
3. Outstanding Chapter Advisor nomination deadline April 15th, http://www.spsnational.org/programs/awards/advisor.htm
4. What Makes YOU Wonder? Share some of your thoughts, deep or shallow! http://www.spsnational.org/partnerships/wonder.htm
5. Win $1000 for a cool video about your favorite physics toy: http://www.physicscentral.com/experiment/contests/toybox/index.cfm
6. Do a rolling experiment and send us your data! It's the Year of Science and this is only one of many projects: http://www.yearofscience2009.org/themes_physics_technology/students/
7. Tell us a Pi-Day story.If you celebrated 3/14 as Pi-Day, tell us about it at
www.the-nucleus.org
8. ADOPT-A-PHYSICIST www.adoptaphysicist.org , Q&A forum for practicing physicists to interact with physics classes, see below for details, starts today
9. MENTORNET www.mentornet.net , mentors needed for 1-on-1 E-mentoring
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Here are the details about the opportunities above:
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1. Meggers Project Award
The William F. and Edith R. Meggers Project Award of the American Institute of Physics is a biennial award designed to fund projects for the improvement of high-school physics teaching in the United States. The Award was made possible by an endowment created by the gift of a stamp and coin collection from William F. and Edith R. Meggers to the American Institute of Physics.
Nature of the award
The Award consists in monetary support. A total of up to $25,000 is available to be awarded biennially for one or more outstanding projects in the competition. Typical awards range from $8,000 to $10,000.
Objective
The objective is to support projects at the high-school level designed to raise the level of interest in physics and boost the quality of physics education.
Guidelines
. Preference will be given to the proposals that directly involve pre-college teachers and/or students.
. Proposed projects must be clearly directed toward accomplishing the above-specified objective.
. Proposals are invited from individuals as well as groups.
. Projects that can serve as models for others are encouraged.
. Projects that propose the use of the entire budget for the purchase or rental of equipment will be disallowed. Currently, indirect costs are not considered.
. A completed proposal will consist of: Title, Abstract, List of Personnel, Vitae, Objectives, Description of Activities, Dissemination Plan (6 or fewer pages), and Budget.
. Awarded projects deliver mandatory reports on the projects' activities within ten months of the award
Contact information
Proposals should be sent by US Mail ONLY to:
Meggers Award c/o Vice President, Physics Resources Center
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740-3843
Phone: 301-209-3126.
For more information, please see: http://www.meggersaward.org/
Informational requests should be made to Jack Hehn: jh...@aip.org
2.This award was set up in memory of physics student Blake Lilly who died too young, awarding a set of The Feynman Lectures on Physics to winning chapters. Blake's family said the following concerning Blake and The Feynman Lecture's on Physics:
"Feynman's real gift may have been that he made physics accessible to students like Blake, who have a compelling interest and commitment, but whose talent lay in diligence and hard, consistent study rather than in super intelligence. Feynman spoke to the ordinary student in Blake about the extraordinary beauty of physics."
To submit an application for your chapter, see http://www.spsnational.org/programs/awards/lilly.htm
The deadline is April 15th
3. Nominate your advisor for the Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award by going here, http://www.spsnational.org/programs/awards/advisor.htm
The deadline is April 15th.
4. In recognition of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, the governing body for the Society of Physics Students (SPS) has chosen "A Universe of Wonder" for the SPS theme in 2009. As part of our publicity efforts for IYA2009 and SPS, we're asking scientists and students alike a simple, yet thought-provoking question: What makes YOU wonder?
We would be most grateful if you could take a few moments and pen a one or two-sentence response to this question. It can be as specific or general as you please, and as brief or "wordy" as you see fit. The idea is to share your sense of wonder and interest in astronomy and science with students. If you are agreeable, you can either respond to this e-mail, or answer using our brief online forum:
http://www.spsnational.org/partnerships/wonder.htm
Some responses might be deemed appropriate for publications in an upcoming issue of "The SPS Observer," the magazine of the Society of Physics Students.
5. The Toy Box Physics Video contest deadline is May 26. It is recommended that videos be no more than two minutes long, but longer videos will be accepted. Contest rules and instructions for submitting a video are online at the PhysicsCentral website. http://www.physicscentral.com/experiment/contests/toybox/index.cfm
6. March is the Physics month in the Year of Science, and I'm curious about a little rolling experiment that could use your chapter's input.just roll a few things down a ramp, watch what wins, and record your data here, http://www.yearofscience2009.org/themes_physics_technology/general/physics-experiment.html
and don't miss the Physics Fun Zone, http://www.yearofscience2009.org/themes_physics_technology/fun-zone/
7. Don't forget that in addition to our Pi-Day story-telling contest The Nucleus also has discussion forums, summer jobs, scholarships, science club resources and other contests; check it out at www.the-nucleus.org
8. ADOPT-A-PHYSICIST www.adoptaphysicist.org
Help high school students explore what it's really like to be a physicist - consider participating in Adopt-a-Physicist! In this program, people with physics degrees (at any level) are "adopted" by high school classes interested in finding out about the careers, educational backgrounds, and lives of real physicists.
Physicists are responsible for creating a profile (takes 10-20 minutes) and hosting one online discussion forum for a 3-week period (estimated to take 2-3 hours per week). All communication will take place on the forum.
Physicists in traditional careers AND "hidden physicists" welcome!
Registration for the next 3-week session begins on March 31, with the forums open April 13 - May 1. For information and to register, visit www.adoptaphysicist.org.
9. MENTORNET www.mentornet.net
MentorNet is the award-winning nonprofit e-mentoring network that positively affects the retention and success of those in engineering, science and mathematics, particularly but not exclusively women and others underrepresented in these fields.
MentorNet seeks mentors who are:
- Science and engineering professionals.
- In industry, government, or academia.
- Active, on leave, or retired.
To match with proteges who are:
- Pursuing a professional future in the fields of engineering and science.
- At the community college, undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral, or early career faculty levels.
Mentoring relationships last 8 months. Because mentors and students communicate entirely by e-mail, they can communicate wherever and whenever they choose. In fact, 90% of our mentors feel that e-mentoring was a convenient way to volunteer. How can you volunteer to be a mentor? Go to www.spsnational.org/partnerships/mentornet.htm