About the USLC

The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) was founded in 1922 to stimulate and facilitate international cooperation in physics, and the worldwide development of science.  Many branches of physics are represented in the IUPAP International Commissions, which are assigned specific tasks as defined in the mandates of each commission.  Presently, there are twenty specialized commissions, four affiliated commissions, twelve inter-union groups, and nine working groups.

The mission of IUPAP is to assist the worldwide development of physics, to foster international collaboration in physics, and to assist in the application of physics in solving problems of concern to humanity; IUPAP carries out this mission by sponsoring international meetings, fostering communications and publications, encouraging research and education, fostering free circulation of scientists, promoting international agreements on symbols, units, and nomenclature, and cooperating with other organizations on disciplinary and interdisciplinary problems.

 

It is the responsibility of the U.S. Liaison Committee for IUPAP (USLC/IUPAP),

• to promote the aims of IUPAP by active participation of its members in the Commissions, i.e., fostering in the U.S. and abroad the development of physics research in academia and industry, promoting diversity and careers of young scientists, strengthening international collaboration and planning of large future facilities, and addressing issues affecting the conduct of science, as well as global issues affecting humanity worldwide;
• to develop initiatives and collaboration on joint projects with the American Physical Society and associated societies and the IUPAP Commissions;
• to nominate U.S. members for the IUPAP Commissions; and
• to recommend for nomination by the NAS delegates to the IUPAP General Assembly.

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is the U.S. adhering body to the International Council for Science (ICSU) and its Unions. Accordingly, the NAS has the responsibility to foster U.S. participation and cooperation in international science activities; to communicate to the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other U.S. Government Institutions the importance of IUPAP’s activities to international collaboration in science, to free exchange of scientific information and free circulation of scientists, to international agreements and standards, and also the broader impact of physics on development around the world.
 

Activities & Events

 Participation in IUPAP General Assemblies and Congresses

The 26th International Union of Pure and Applied Physics General Assembly, held October 13-18, 2008 in Tsukuba, Japan saw participation from approximately 106 members representing 41 countries.  The USLC/IUPAP supported six U.S delegates to the general assembly:  Robert Austin, Chair, E. Dan Dahlberg, Amy K. Flatten, Vera Lüth, Kennedy Reed, and Dean Zollman.  Read the delegation's summary of the 2008 IUPAP General Assembly (110KB PDF).

RESOLUTION PRESENTED
The USLC presented a resolution to IUPAP in support of SESAME, which was approved.  View IUPAP General Assembly resolution (13KB PDF).

ELECTION OUTCOMES
Two U.S. representatives were elected Vice-Presidents from the commission chairs:  Samuel D. Bader (C10), Argonne National Laboratory; and Patricia McBride (C11), Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.  A number of U.S. chairs were also elected for IUPAP commissions: Peter Mohr (C2), Robert Hallock (C5), José Nelson Onuchic (C6), Samuel D. Bader (C10), Patricia McBride (C11), Kennedy Reed (C13), and James Gubernatis (C20).  Furthermore, Simon Swordy (C4) was elected Vice-Chair and Dean Zollman (C17) and Katharine Gebbie (C15) were elected secretaries. 
Learn more about General Assembly outcomes.

 The IUPAP International Conferences on Women in Physics

The USLC/IUPAP awarded travel grants to young physicists from developing countries to attend and share their research with other female physicists at the 3rd IUPAP Women in Physics Conference (ICWIP) in October 7-10, 2008, Seoul, South Korea.  The International Organizing Committee consists of the IUPAP Working Group on Women in Physics, which was established in 1999 to address the severe under representation of women in physics and develop strategies to increase women physicists worldwide. 

With 283 attendees from 57 countries, the 3rd IUPAP Conference on Women in Physics was dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women in physics throughout the world, networking toward new international collaborations, building each participant's capacity for career success, and aiding the formation of active regional working groups to advance women in physics.  Women remain a small minority of the physics community in most countries.  Global society will fully benefit from the contributions of all physicists only with the inclusion of women of all races and nationalities within the physics community.  As a whole, physics contributes to economic development and to the solution of major challenges, such as energy, health, climate change, water, education, and sustainability.  To accelerate progress, both men and women in physics must champion this agenda.

 

The representatives assembled in Seoul unanimously recommend the following actions to the IUPAP 26th General Assembly in Tsukuba, Japan:

1. Promote through the IUPAP Liaison Committees and physical societies the formation of additional regional or national working groups for women in physics.
2. Publicize site visits as an effective tool for improving the "climate" of physics workplaces, and encourage their implementation to help the workplaces become more supportive of both women and men.
3. Actively encourage organizers of IUPAP-sponsored conferences to provide, associated with the conference programme (a) professional development workshops for attendees and (b) outreach activities aimed at the public and to engage both girls and boys from an early age in the excitement of physics.
4. Charge the IUPAP Working Group on Women in Physics (a) to oversee the administration of a global survey of physicists in 2009, (b) to continue to assess the progress of women in physics, (c) to make useful resources available globally through the internet, (d) to organize the 4th International Conference on Women in Physics in 2011, and (e) to report at the 27th IUPAP General Assembly in 2011.
5. Urge IUPAP Liaison Committees and physical societies to take the leadership in their countries to encourage.

The first IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics was successfully held in Paris, France, in March 2002. This conference served as an initial focal point for ongoing activities to implement strategies developed there. Along with the second IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in May 2005, the third Conference was dedicated to providing an opportunity to share the scientific accomplishments of participants as well as analyzing international progress in promoting women in physics. The fourth conference was held in Stellenbosch, South Africa in April 6-8, 2011. Visit the official website for addtional information.  The videos of the plenary speakers can be watched in the following link: http://physics.yale.edu/4th-international-conference-women-physics.
 

 International Travel Grant Award Program

Recognizing that funding for collaborations between developed and developing country scientists is often insufficient to meet existing needs and opportunities, the International Travel Grant Program (ITGAP) was established following the initiative of the American Physical Society Forum on International Physics (FIP), the APS Committee on International Scientific Affairs (CISA) and the APS Divisions of Nuclear Physics (DNP), Physics of Beams (DPB), Particles and Fields (DPF), and Plasma Physics (DPP).  Awards of up to $2,000 USD will be made based on 6-month competitive cycles. 

The USLC/IUPAP provided partial support for the American Physical Society’s International Travel Grant Award Program (ITGAP). View a complete list of awardees from December 2004 to February 2011.  

 Canadian American Mexican (CAM) Graduate Student Conference

 

CAM 2009 participants in Acapulco, Mexico  Photo: Gordon Drake

The USLC/IUPAP supports international outreach, such as the Canadian American Mexican (CAM) Conference, a biennial conference jointly sponsored by the American Physical Society (APS), Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP), and Sociedad Méjicana de Física (SMF) that affords physics graduate students an opportunity to attend a unique conference planned by and for them with mentorship from senior staff of the physics societies in each of the three countries.  Students have an opportunity to introduce their recent findings in the various subfields of physics as well as address concerns particular to physicists in the early stages of their careers.  In addition, CAM promotes international collaborations among the North American countries and allows participants to develop an appreciation of the different experiences of graduate students from across North America. Through special topical and technical sessions, students have the opportunity to gain a broader view of physics beyond their own classrooms and research laboratories. This conference also features sessions dedicated to exploring career options available to young physicists, along with a career fair for those seeking employment.

The first CAM Conference was held in 2003 in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, with the responsibilities for hosting subsequent conferences rotating among the three participating countries.  The hosting of CAM Conferences rotates among the 3 countries--the United States in 2005, Canada in 2007, with a return to Mexico for its fourth cycle in 2009.  Organized by the Sociedad Mejicana de Física, CAM 2009 was held in Acapulco, Mexico, from October 22-24, 2009, where USLC/IUPAP operations officer share with the students the importance of science policy and science diplomacy. Approximately 136 graduate students from the three countries attended the 2009 CAM conference.

The 2011 Canadian-American-Mexican Physics Graduate Student Conference (CAM2011) will be hosted by the American Physical Society in Washington D.C., from September 29th to October 1st, 2011.  Along with the scientific presentations, 2 additional panel discussions will help the international audience of graduate students to better understand the important contributions of scientists beyond laboratory research.  These panel discussions are: 1) “Careers in Science Policy – Challenges, Opportunities, and Case Examples;” and 2) “Science, Foreign Policy and Diplomacy – Role of Scientific Societies & Other NGOs.”  The deadline for abstract submission is June 30th.  For more information, please visit http://cam2011.princeton.edu/.

Current Membership

RESOURCE LINKS

• International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics
• International Astronomical Union
• International Commission for Optics
• American Physical Society
• American Institute of Physics
• Acoustical Society of America
• American Association of Physics Teachers
• American Astronomical Society
• Biophysical Society
• NRC Board on Physics and Astronomy
• NRC Policy and Global Affairs
• International Council for Science
• European Physical Society

Sponsor

The USLC/IUPAP is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. MPS-0650065.

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