Financial Support for the Center and for
Participants
Who Supports Us
Called the "most cost effective program of
its kind" by a major funding agency, the
Aspen Center for Physics takes pride in the
fiscal responsibility that has allowed it to
grow and prosper since its beginnings in
1961 and first meetings in 1962.
The Aspen Center for Physics' cognizant
grant agency is the
National Science
Foundation (current Grant
#PHY-1607611). Since 1972, the NSF has
generously provided grant monies annually.
NSF funds are used to support the
physicists' housing costs in Aspen. This
allows some physicists to attend who would
not otherwise be able to afford
participation. NSF support helps encourage
under-represented groups, those whose
institutions limit travel funds, and junior
scientists.
In the past, the
Department of Energy
had been instrumental in annual funding of
the winter conferences by supporting the
publication and secretarial needs.
Currently, the DOE generously provides
participant support for individual winter
conferences.
Several
corporations, foundations,
laboratories and individuals also
donate to the Center for specific programs,
building projects, or for our endowment.
Their assistance has been invaluable and has
made the Center a viable and prospering
institution for
theoretical physicists to learn, confer and
collaborate to increase our knowledge of the
world around us.
We are able to conduct business with a small
staff thanks to thousands of hours donated
annually by
ACP Members. We are a
center by and for physicists who handle all
of the scientific matters, including
programming, admissions, financing, and
policy making.
How We Support Physicists
A portion of grants and donations received
by the Center is used to help support
physicists while they are in Aspen. Each
summer, physicists staying in ACP-arranged
housing receive a discounted rate due to a
NSF
grant to reduce lodging expenses. In the
winter, support varies from conference to
conference. Grants from other entities are
obtained and distributed by the conference
organizers.
The
Simons Foundation has generously
provided funds to support physicists coming
from countries where science funding is not
strong or from economically disadvantaged
countries. All physicists who would like to
participate at the Aspen Center
for Physics apply
before January 31 of the year preceding the
summer they would like to attend. The
admissions process is rigorous due to the
large number of applications. This results
in a 60% acceptance rate. Physicists do not
apply for the Simons grant. If the country
in which they are working is one that will
be supported that year, the physicists will
receive letters of acceptance that include
information about Simons funding. The Simons
grant pays for an accepted individual's
registration fee, shared housing while in
Aspen (one's own room in a two- or
three-bedroom apartment), and a portion of
air travel, which will vary from year to
year, but may not cover all of one's travel
expenses.
The
Sloan Foundation has generously
provided funds to support early-career
scientists belonging to domestic
under-represented groups in physics
departments across U.S. institutions,
including (but not limited to) gender,
ethnicity, and race.
Very limited funds that would usually cover
the ACP registration fees are also available
to qualified early-career participants from
the
Shaham and Trustee Funds. Email
us: acp@aspenphys.org for more information.
The Block fund for one promising young
physicist per winter conference and the
Ramond Family fund for families to enjoy
Aspen have no application process and are
awarded by committee.
If You Would Like to Donate
We are a non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation.
All donations are greatly appreciated and
are tax deductible!
You may give a general donation or target
your giving:
Annual Fund is designated by the
Board of Trustees to further Center
programs.
Bicycle Fund supports the fleet of
bicycles which are available free to
physicists.
Block Fund, named in honor of Martin
and Beate Block, is a prized award given to
one promising junior physicist during each
winter conference.
The Paula Johnson Family Support Fund
will ease the financial burden of bringing
physicists' families to Aspen and will
provide support where needed, including
childcare assistance and family activities.
Ramond Family Fund goes to young
families to enjoy their time together in
Aspen.
Shaham Fund is given to a young
physicist in memory of the late Jacob
Shaham.
Tree Fund supports our effort to
replace old aspen trees and develop a mixed
forest. Originally this fund was used for
trees to surround the "Circle of Serenity"
creating a calm, outdoor atmosphere in which
to contemplate the secrets of the universe.
Trustee Fund is for young
physicists and honors late former trustees
of the Center.
If you are interested in contributing to the
Center, contact us at acp@aspenphys.org or
call 970-925-2585. You may make donations
through our
shopping cart. Or
mail a check to ACP, 700 W Gillespie, Aspen,
CO 81611.
"There is
one thing in particular that I find a
really strong aspect of the Aspen
Physics Center. This is something I
realized after my recent move from
Europe to the US. Although I really
enjoy the strong science climate in
the US, the facilities, the dynamics
and the speed, there is one thing that
is missing here. In the US people are
so driven by the next deadline for
grants applications that we are always
in a hurry. Really taking the time to
sit down, think and fully discuss the
many aspects of a particular problem
with expert colleagues has become a
very rare event. Aspen really provides
the opportunity to do this. Maybe only
for a few intense weeks of the year,
but that is enough for the start of
high-quality papers that have a real
impact."
