SPS Reporter Awards
Sign up to be a Reporter--$200 Awards Available!
The Society of Physics Students (SPS) offers travel support at a level of $200 for SPS chapters or individual students reporting on a national physics meeting for SPS.
The resulting articles are 2-3 page reflections about the meeting from a student perspective, often used as feature articles on the SPS website and included in SPS publications such as The SPS Observer or Radiations, the magazine of Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honor society. The articles may also be used in publications of the organization hosting the meeting.
Examples of qualifying meeting include, but are not limited to, national meetings of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), the American Physical Society (APS), the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the American Astronomical Society (AAS).
Logistics of the Award
SPS Reporter Awards are given at a level of $200, to be used for travel reimbursement.
If more than one student elects to be an SPS Reporter, then the funding is awarded to the chapter, with the mandate that funds go toward travel expenses. If an individual student is the SPS Reporter, then the funding is awarded to the individual.
Funds are distributed in the form of a check upon receipt of the article . The article must follow the award guidelines and must be submitted no later than 30 days after the meeting ends.
In some cases, SPS Reporters may receive a reduced registration fee and access to the press room. This depends on the organization hosting the meeting.
The SPS Reporter Award is available to any undergraduate student that is a member of the SPS national organization.
Want to be an SPS Reporter?
Complete the appropriate SPS Reporter Award request form below at least 10 days prior to the meeting you would like to report on. You will be notified about the award within 5 business days.
Article Guidelines
There is no set format for the article, but it should include the following elements:
- Interesting title
- A little about yourself, your SPS chapter, and why you were interested in attending this particular meeting
- A discussion of the student presence at the meeting and, if applicable, several paragraphs about the SPS research sessions
- The highlights of the meeting in your opinion (keynote speakers, demonstrations, cutting-edge research, etc.)
- You are encouraged to interview at least one leading physicist at the meeting, and include quotes if they enhance your article—person-on-the-street interviews can be compelling also, so consider that as well.
- Several photos from the meeting with captions and photo credits. Please include at least one photo that includes the reporter(s)
Articles should be submitted electronically as Microsoft Word™ documents. (PDF files are acceptable, but they must be accompanied by the original text file for editing purposes).
In addition, you MUST submit the following along with your article:
Program Support
The SPS Reporter Awards are funded, in part, by the generosity of Sigma Pi Sigma members through the Sigma Pi Sigma Alumni and Trust Funds. |
Upcoming Meetings
 The AAPT (American Association of Physics Teachers) Winter Meeting will be held in Ontario, California on February 4-8, 2012. The meeting theme is: The Wave Nature of Light & Matter, in honor of 150th anniversary of Maxwell's equations and the 75th anniversary of the Davisson-Germer Nobel Prize. You don't have to be a physics teacher to attend! For more information, viist their website.
APS March Meeting
The 2012 APS March Meeting will be held February 27 - March 2 in Boston, MA. The APS March Meeting is the largest physics meeting in the world, focusing on physics reserach from industry, universities, and major labs.
219th AAS Meeting
The 219th AAS Meeting is being held January 8-12 in Austin, TX. Late Abstract Submission Deadline is Thursday, 1 December 2011.
2012 AAPT Winter Meeting
The 2012 Winter Meeting will be held in Ontario, California, on February 4-8, 2012, at the Ontario Convention Center. The theme: The Wave Nature of Light and Matter
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When you join SPS national as an undergraduate, you get free one-year membership in one of ten other physics societies.
A limited number of grants, on the order of $200 each, are offered to help fund the travel of SPS members' presenting at a national meeting of AIP Member Societies holding a "SPS Session" co-organized by SPS and the Member Society.
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