Advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics; support the physics community through publishing, meetings, education, advocacy, and initiatives that promote equity, inclusion, and global engagement.
A recurring feature of American Physical Society grantmaking is support for physics education and the institutions that build it. In the recent grants list, the largest award went to Florida International University for program sub-awards, followed closely by the University of Maryland in College Park for the same purpose. That pattern points to a funder that often works through partner organizations and universities rather than making one-off, highly individualized grants. The foundation also ties funding to recognition and participation in the field. It has awarded prize and award stipends to institutions such as the University of California, Riverside; Towson University; and State University of Iowa, showing that its giving extends beyond research infrastructure into honors and career-related support. Another visible thread is travel support, including a participant-support grant to the Board of Trustees of the Stanford University. Across the grants on file, the American Physical Society appears to fund the physics community through a mix of institutional subawards, recognition programs, and targeted support for outreach and participation.
Physics education is one of the clearest themes in the grant record. The American Physical Society gave $68,385 to the University of Central Florida for programs sub awards and $57,561 to the same institution in another programs-sub awards entry, indicating repeated support for institutional program work. Public outreach is another strand. The foundation awarded $45,000 to the University of California, Riverside for prize and award stipends, and it also has a public outreach mini-grants program for APS members. The record also shows support for physics community partnerships. Florida International University received $242,194 for program sub-awards, while Wested received $222,817 for sub awards. These grants suggest APS often funds intermediary organizations and university-based programs tied to physics development, outreach, or education.
The typical grant size sits at a p25 of $13,419, a median of $25,758, and a p75 of $56,234, which places many awards in a moderate range even as the largest recent grants reach above $200,000. The recent record also shows repeat recipients across years, including the University of Maryland, Wested, Carleton College, and the University of Central Florida, indicating ongoing relationships rather than purely one-time grants. APS is a regular funder and the data identify it as not funding individuals directly. Several programs operate through subawards, nominations, or participant support, and some grants are unsolicited, including public outreach mini-grants and APS’s APC coverage for authors from less-resourced countries.
$1.7M
$313M
$106.3M
$90.9M
Most grants fall between $13K and $56K, with a median of $26K.
25th Percentile
$13K
Median
$26K
75th Percentile
$56K
About 7% of grants go to recipients in CA.
JONATHAN BAGGER
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Giving is national, with all recent grants in the United States. Florida appears most often in the recent grant list, including Miami and Orlando recipients. Other recurring cities include College Park, MD; Los Angeles, CA; Washington, DC; Madison, WI; and Boulder, CO. The foundation’s HQ state, Maryland, accounts for 9% of grants, but the grant footprint extends well beyond that state.
APS supports physics research, physics education, public engagement, diversity and inclusion initiatives, scientific publishing, and international engagement. The grant record also shows program sub-awards, prize and award stipends, participant travel support, and outreach-oriented grants.
No. The data classifies APS as not funding individuals directly. Its recent grants instead go to universities and organizations such as Florida International University, the University of Maryland, Wested, and the American Mathematical Society.
The grant-size distribution centers on a p25 of $13,419, a median of $25,758, and a p75 of $56,234. Recent awards include both smaller outreach and stipend grants and larger institutional sub-awards above $200,000.
Yes. APS Prizes, Awards, and Fellowships use an open nomination process, and APS Public Outreach Mini-Grants accept unsolicited applications. APS also lists APC coverage for authors from less-resourced countries as unsolicited.
The recent grants listed are all in the United States, but APS programs also extend internationally through prize and award programs and Research4Life partnerships for lower- and middle-income countries, territories, and refugee camps.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wested | Los Angeles, CA | $222,817 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| University of Maryland | College Park, MD | $202,536 | 2025 | Programs - Sub Awards |
| American Mathematical Society | Providence, RI | $195,167 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| Florida International University | Miami, FL | $156,137 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| Board of Regents - Univ of WI Madison | Milwaukee, WI | $122,448 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| American Astronomical Society | Washington, DC | $78,202 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL | $68,385 | 2025 | Programs - Sub Awards |
| Board of Trustees of the Stanford Univ | Redwood City, CA | $55,000 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | $54,094 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester, NY | $51,677 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| University of Colorado | Boulder, CO | $50,724 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| University of San Diego | San Diego, CA | $40,767 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| Clemson University | Clemson, SC | $33,372 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| American Chemical Society | Washington, DC | $33,000 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | $32,894 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| Trustees of Boston College | Chestnut Hill, MA | $31,929 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| Montana State University | Bozeman, MT | $31,500 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $27,600 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| West Virginia University Research Corporation | Morgantown, WV | $24,517 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| University of Oregon | Eugene, OR | $22,500 | 2025 | Prizes & Awards - Stipends |
| American Geophysical Union | Washington, DC | $20,682 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| Oregon State University | Corvallis, OR | $18,705 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| Administrators of The Tulane Educational Fund | New Orleans, LA | $18,099 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| Materials Research Society | Warrendale, PA | $17,322 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| Missouri University of Science & Technology | Rolla, MO | $16,266 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| University of Washington | Chicago, IL | $16,024 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| Georgia Tech Research Corporation | Atlanta, GA | $15,957 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| The University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | $14,845 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| West Point Association of Graduates | West Point, NY | $13,650 | 2025 | Travel - Participant Support |
| Committee of Concerned Scientists Inc | Mountainhome, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | Prizes & Awards - Stipends |
| University of North Carolina | Chapel Hill, NC | $9,866 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| Weber State University | Ogden, UT | $8,400 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| Drew University | Madison, NJ | $8,400 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| Marietta College | Marietta, OH | $8,400 | 2025 | Sub Awards |
| Trustees of Amherst College | Amherst, MA | $6,000 | 2025 | Prizes & Awards - Stipends |
| Harvard College | Cambridge, MA | $6,000 | 2025 | Prizes & Awards - Receipient Travel |
| Harvey Mudd College | Claremont, CA | $6,000 | 2025 | Prizes & Awards - Stipends |
| FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY | MIAMI, FL | $242,194 | 2024 | PROGRAMS-SUB AWARDS |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND | COLLEGE PARK, MD | $234,598 | 2024 | PROGRAMS-SUB AWARDS |
| AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION | WASHINGTON, DC | $175,538 | 2024 | SUB AWARDS |
| TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - COMMERCE | COMMERCE, TX | $126,105 | 2024 | SUB AWARDS |
| MATERIALS RESEARCH SOCIETY | WARRENDALE, PA | $124,235 | 2024 | SUB AWARDS |
| UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO | BOULDER, CO | $105,183 | 2024 | PROGRAMS-SUB AWARDS |
| WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE | WORCHESTER, MA | $104,913 | 2024 | SUB AWARDS |
| CARLETON COLLEGE | NORTHFIELD, MN | $90,140 | 2024 | PROGRAMS-SUB AWARDS |
| WESTED | LOS ANGELES, CA | $88,832 | 2024 | SUB AWARDS |
| BOARD 0F REGENTS - UNIV OF WISCONSIN | MADISON, WI | $70,785 | 2024 | SUB AWARDS |
| THE TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY | PRINCETON, NJ | $62,936 | 2024 | PROGRAMS-SUB AWARDS |
| UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA | ORLANDO, FL | $57,561 | 2024 | PROGRAMS-SUB AWARDS |
| AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $45,459 | 2024 | SUB AWARDS |
Wested
$222,817Sub Awards
University of Maryland
$202,536Programs - Sub Awards
American Mathematical Society
$195,167Sub Awards
Florida International University
$156,137Sub Awards
Board of Regents - Univ of WI Madison
$122,448Sub Awards
American Astronomical Society
$78,202Sub Awards
University of Central Florida
Programs - Sub Awards
Board of Trustees of the Stanford Univ
$55,000Travel - Participant Support
University of Southern California
$54,094Sub Awards
Rochester Institute of Technology
$51,677Sub Awards
University of Colorado
$50,724Sub Awards
University of San Diego
$40,767Travel - Participant Support
Clemson University
$33,372Travel - Participant Support
American Chemical Society
$33,000Sub Awards
University of Michigan
$32,894Travel - Participant Support
Trustees of Boston College
$31,929Travel - Participant Support
Montana State University
$31,500Travel - Participant Support
University of Pennsylvania
$27,600Travel - Participant Support
West Virginia University Research Corporation
$24,517Travel - Participant Support
University of Oregon
$22,500Prizes & Awards - Stipends
American Geophysical Union
$20,682Sub Awards
Oregon State University
$18,705Sub Awards
Administrators of The Tulane Educational Fund
$18,099Travel - Participant Support
Materials Research Society
$17,322Sub Awards
Missouri University of Science & Technology
$16,266Travel - Participant Support
University of Washington
$16,024Travel - Participant Support
Georgia Tech Research Corporation
$15,957Travel - Participant Support
The University of Arizona
$14,845Travel - Participant Support
West Point Association of Graduates
$13,650Travel - Participant Support
Committee of Concerned Scientists Inc
$10,000Prizes & Awards - Stipends
University of North Carolina
$9,866Sub Awards
Weber State University
$8,400Sub Awards
Drew University
$8,400Sub Awards
Marietta College
$8,400Sub Awards
Trustees of Amherst College
$6,000Prizes & Awards - Stipends
Harvard College
$6,000Prizes & Awards - Receipient Travel
Harvey Mudd College
$6,000Prizes & Awards - Stipends
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
$242,194PROGRAMS-SUB AWARDS
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
$234,598PROGRAMS-SUB AWARDS
AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION
$175,538SUB AWARDS
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - COMMERCE
$126,105SUB AWARDS
MATERIALS RESEARCH SOCIETY
$124,235SUB AWARDS
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
$105,183PROGRAMS-SUB AWARDS
WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
$104,913SUB AWARDS
CARLETON COLLEGE
$90,140PROGRAMS-SUB AWARDS
WESTED
$88,832SUB AWARDS
BOARD 0F REGENTS - UNIV OF WISCONSIN
$70,785SUB AWARDS
THE TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
$62,936PROGRAMS-SUB AWARDS
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
$57,561PROGRAMS-SUB AWARDS
AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
$45,459SUB AWARDS
Current and upcoming funding from American Physical Society that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: APS members (and projects led by APS members); outreach projects aimed at public engagement. (Summary based on APS News description — see source URL for full/updated eligibility.)
Deadline: Historically had an annual proposal deadline (example cited: January 11, 2013). Current deadline should be confirmed on the program page.
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
