Deadline: February 29, 2024
Submit proposals for the ICTP Physics Without Frontiers 2024. ICTP Physics Without Frontiers works to teach, train, and inspire physics and mathematics university students worldwide, with focus on countries in the Global South, to help build the next generation of scientists.
PWF organises projects working with volunteer scientists, who are PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, or lecturers from all over the world, who are passionate about promoting and supporting physics and mathematics. The Physics Without Frontiers Volunteer Network is composed of more than 100 passionate scientists primarily from the Global South.
Each PWF project is unique, combining activities such as hands-on training, lecturing and networking, developed with a country’s specific needs in mind. A component of science diplomacy, interaction with industry, outreach and diversity are often incorporated into projects. PWF promotes networking and collaborative environments and encourages mentoring to students who may have less opportunities. To date PWF has worked with over 10,000 students worldwide in 50 different countries!
Physics Without Frontiers aims to:
- Teach and train university students in core topics, and cutting-edge research, in physics and mathematics using enquiry-based learning and hands-on sessions by PWF Volunteers who are experts in their research fields, and provide transferable skills in computing, programming and data science;
- Identify and mentor top students studying at universities without MSc/PhD programmes to go on to further study abroad, such as the ICTP diploma programme, and MSc and PhD placements;
- Support physics and mathematics departments in universities with little or no research, by providing faculty training, taught university courses, curriculum support, research infrastructure, efforts towards the public understanding of science, and outreach to high school students and teachers.
Eligibility
Applicant can be:
- A lecturer(s) at a university in the Global South applying to organise a project for their own students in their university, region, or country, or they may be applying to partner with other universities or with another country.
- A graduate student, postdoc or lecturer from the Global South working abroad, applying to organise a project in their own or another country.
Application
The application process has two stages:
- Apply to organise a project and volunteer for PWF, even without a full idea of what the project will be! With a focus on the applicants’ motivation and goals and intended impact of the project, the PWF team will select key projects to work with to the second stage and develop a full proposal for a project with them.
- The selected applicants will work with PWF to put together the full detailed proposal. This is then sent for approval to PWF and other partners including the participating universities.
For more information, visit PWF.
