APS-EPS-ICTP Travel Award Fellowship Programme (ATAP)

In honour of the 2022 International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development, the APS-EPS-ICTP Travel Award Fellowship Programme (ATAP) has been established.

ATAP was created to take advantage of important partnerships between the ICTP, the American Physical Society (APS), and the European Physical Society (EPS) to provide career-enhancing opportunities for active early career scientists from developing countries. Since 2023, ATAP has been joined by the APS Forum on Early Career Scientists (FECS).

Fields of research

Other

Various branches of physical sciences.

Who can apply

Outstanding doctoral students or early career physicists (within 10 years of their PhD), wishing to return to the laboratory of their alma mater (but not only) for a period of two months, who are nationals of developing countries, and who are currently studying or working in their same or another developing country.

Requirements:

To be a doctoral student or early career physicist (within 10 years of their PhD).
To be a national of a developing country, and currently studying or working in their same or another developing country.
To spend a period of two months at their alma mater (but not only), so they can strengthen existing, and create new, collaborations, conduct world-class research, enhance their list of publications and use laboratory facilities that they are already familiar with. In exceptional cases, selected recipients can visit another laboratory, if they have changed their research direction and can demonstrate why a different laboratory is more suitable to their career development.
Proficiency in English, or fluency in the language of the host country, is required.
Selected fellows will need to follow a career development seminar that includes grant-writing skills, provided either by ICTP or by another organization, to ensure that this short-term opportunity produces long-term benefits.

Entitlements

ATAP provides a grant in Euro, normally equivalent to the amount of $5,000 USD, so that the selected young scientist can cover the major costs of a two consecutive month research visit to a participating laboratory in Europe (excluding Italy) and North America, or to a more advanced developing country.

All funds should be used within the same calendar year they are awarded. Therefore starting dates should not be later than November 1 of that same year.

How to apply

Candidates will need to send the following documentation to itlabs@ictp.it with the subject line “ATAP Fellowships” by 31 March in the year of the intended Fellowship. The application should contain:

A complete CV and publication list
At least one letter of reference
A letter of agreement and endorsement by the host laboratory that includes a short description of the research to be carried out during the two-month visit and stating how this visit will enhance the applicant's own research and career
A 1-page budget plan evaluating the travel and local expenses and specifying the person/institution who will manage the funds.

Selection process

An external panel involving up to 2 representatives from each partner of the programme, will evaluate the applications received and make recommendations to the Head of the External Activities Unit, who will be responsible for assigning the fellowships by mid-April of the Fellowship year.

No more than 2 travel awards per year will be given to fellows from the same country.

Special attention will be given to support women physicists.

Only “early-career” physicists (within 10 years of their PhD) are eligible.

Contacts

itlabs@ictp.it

Organizers