American Institute of Physics
The American Institute of Physics (AIP) is a federation of physical science societies, including AAPT, that advances, promotes and serves the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity. AIP offers authoritative information, services, and expertise in physics education and student programs, science communication, government relations, career services for science and engineering professionals, statistical research in physics employment and education, industrial outreach, and the history of physics and allied fields. AIP also publishes the flagship magazine Physics Today and is home to the Society of Physics Students and the Niels Bohr Library and Archives.
AIP also acts as an independent institute where research in social science, policy, and history advances the discipline of the physical sciences. AIP publishes authoritative reports on the issues facing the scientific community, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical sciences enterprise as well as the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in scientific disciplines.
Come learn about the benefits AIP can provide here!
Society of Physics Students
The Society of Physics Students (SPS) is a national professional association designed to help students transform themselves into contributing members of the physical science professional community. Traditional coursework develops only one range of skills. Other skills needed to flourish professionally include effective communication and personal interactions, leadership experience, establishing a personal network of contacts, presenting scholarly work in professional meetings and journals, research experiences, and outreach services to the campus and local communities. Through its members, advisers, chapters, and leadership, SPS enables national initiatives and local impacts within the community. SPS supports students, advisers, and departments to improve the overall community. SPS has more than 800 chapters at universities worldwide.
SPS collaborates with societies like AAPT on a joint membership program that introduces the next generation of physical scientists to scientific society membership. AIP regularly introduced hundreds of undergraduate students to AAPT annually.
Within SPS is housed Sigma Pi Sigma, the national physics honor society, which elects members on the basis of outstanding academic achievement.
See more here
Physics Today
Members of AIP Member Societies like AAPT automatically receive free print or digital subscriptions to Physics Today, the most influential and closely followed physics magazine in the world. PT informs AAPT members about research across the physical sciences and about developments that affect the entire physical sciences community.
Find the latest issue of Physics Today here
Peril and Promise: Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Physical Sciences
AIP convened an expert panel to draft a report that will assist leaders in government, academia, the private sector, and others who depend on the physical sciences as they craft specific recommendations to address the pandemic’s impacts on the physical sciences. The report looks at three dimensions of the crisis: Workforce, Infrastructure, and Conduct of Research.
Access the report here
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB)
The AIP National Task Force to Elevate African American Representation in Undergraduate Physics & Astronomy (TEAM-UP) TEAM-UP has spent the last two years investigating the reasons for the persistent underrepresentation of African American undergraduate students in physics and astronomy (P/A) and released its report in early January 2020. The Report, entitled, “The Time is Now: Systemic Changes to Increase African Americans with Bachelor’s Degrees in Physics and Astronomy” features TEAM-UP’s findings, evidence-based recommendations, and guidance for community-wide efforts to increase the number of African American students obtaining P/A bachelor’s degrees.
See the report here (PDF)
Learn more about TEAM-UP here
Statistical Research Center
The AIP Statistical Research Center (SRC) is your source for data on education, careers, and diversity in physics, astronomy and other physical sciences. SRC collects, analyzes and disseminates data on education and employment in physics and related fields. This year, SRC released reports on the Size of Undergraduate Physics and Astronomy Programs, Data on People from Underrepresented Groups in the Physical Sciences and Engineering, and the Faculty Job Market in Physics and Astronomy Departments. These are just a small selection of the reports SRC disseminates to the broader physical science community.
Access all SRC reports here
SRC also provides the Physics Faculty Salary Calculator, which allows you to explore salaries for physicists by institution type, degree, job title, tenure status, gender, and location.
Find the Salary Calculator here
Find Downloadable Physics Employment and Degree Trends Flyers here
Preserving History of the Physical Sciences
AIP supports the efforts of the scholarly community to document, investigate, and understand the nature and origin of developments in modern physical sciences and their impact on society. The Niels Bohr Library & Archives (NBL&A) is a repository and clearinghouse for the physical science history and holds archival records of AIP Member Societies, including AAPT. To see the AAPT records preserved by the library, including manuscripts, oral histories, books, and journals, see the AAPT online portal.
Access the AAPT History Portal here
The Center for History of Physics supports the efforts of the scholarly community to document, investigate, and understand the nature and origin of developments in modern physics and their impact on society through:
• Creating online exhibits • Providing grants-in-aid to researchers in the history of science • Publishing articles and books • Conducting surveys and oral history interviews, hosting conferences • Participating in national and international conferences and history projects
Check out several AAPT relevant resources from the Center for History of Physics!
Materials for Teachers and Students: Teaching Guides on History of the Physical Sciences
Web Exhibit on the History of Lasers
Oral History with Adriaan Bax
Oral History with Lillian McDermott
Oral History with Homer Dodge
Public Policy
FYI is an authoritative news and resource center for federal science policy, with a focus on the physical sciences. The FYI team reports on developments in Washington, D.C., and beyond, seeking to illuminate how policy affects science and how science shapes policy. FYI also manages trackers for federal budgets, new legislation, leaders in federal science policy offices, and policy job opportunities. AAPT members are encouraged to sign up for free alerts on the policy issues affecting them.
Find FYI stories and resources here
Subscribe to free updates here
Codeword: Federation
Media and Science News
AIP’s syndicated news service, Inside Science, brings science news to the public. Inside Science provides coverage on Physics, from the “macroscopic, the subatomic, the strange, the cool, the groundbreaking and the obscure”. Inside Science regularly runs material related to AAPT.
Read Inside Science here
Watch Inside Science TV here